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John Stewart Debate's Bill O'Reilly on White Privilege

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  • ClayTaylorNC
    2014-10-20 02:52:46 PM
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    John Stewart and Bill O'Reilly just debated on White Privilege on 'The Daily Show'. I must say it was hard to watch. I cannot stand O'Reilly and what comes out of his mouth. There are very few instances where he says something that is actually from a good/true place, and not slanted by Fox. Now some sway towards Bill's way of thinking in this debate, and some sway towards Stewart's. I can honestly say that all I hear when Bill speaks (shouts irritatingly to try and control the conversation) is him putting more and more bricks on the wall he has built in his head. After the debate I had a bad taste in my mouth, so decided to watch all of O'Reilly's debate videos I could access. Not one of them I can remotely agree with on his side. When someone has a factual point to debate, Bill will surely shout to try and at least make it to where the viewers cannot make out what was said. What is your point on this? Do you think Bill holds any weight in this argument? Or Stewart.


    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8raaT7SRx18
  • johnnycee
    2014-10-20 05:34:36 PM
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    What exactly is "White Privilege? Seriously.
  • jaredsxtn
    2014-10-20 09:26:00 PM
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    johnnycee Wrote: What exactly is "White Privilege? Seriously.
    White privilege is being raised in an all whites town built by the American military, as was the case with Bill O'Reilly. Black veterans didn't have any towns built for them by the American military. O'Reilly is literally the poster boy of white privilege.

    White privilege is not being racially profiled even though whites commit far more crimes than blacks. White privilege is not ever being stopped and frisked by police officers. And white privilege is never having to worry about a traffic stop turning into your death sentence because of a trigger happy cop. Just to name a few of countless examples of white privilege...
  • johnnycee
    2014-10-21 10:15:48 AM
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    jaredsxtn Wrote:
    johnnycee Wrote: What exactly is "White Privilege? Seriously.
    White privilege is being raised in an all whites town built by the American military, as was the case with Bill O'Reilly. Black veterans didn't have any towns built for them by the American military. O'Reilly is literally the poster boy of white privilege.

    White privilege is not being racially profiled even though whites commit far more crimes than blacks. White privilege is not ever being stopped and frisked by police officers. And white privilege is never having to worry about a traffic stop turning into your death sentence because of a trigger happy cop. Just to name a few of countless examples of white privilege...
    So white privilege does not extend to all whites being born here, just to those who succeed and don't give back to the community, is that correct? Now since there are more whites on welfare programs in this country then any other race, should we consider them to be the benefit of white privilege also? Now if a white man walks into a all black neighborhood ,is he not viewed with suspicious eyes because he is white ? If any organization only aids those of a certain race, creed, or gender, are they not enabling a certain privilege to just those as described. So I feel that "white privilege " is not a privilege at all but merely some group who helped a certain class of people to succeed.
  • jaredsxtn
    2014-10-21 03:14:03 PM
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    johnnycee Wrote: So I feel that "white privilege " is not a privilege at all but merely some group who helped a certain class of people to succeed.
    This 'group' you are talking about is the American government at the federal, state, and local levels. This 'group' was the American military, Supreme Court, and every other governmental and non-governmental agency you can think of that systemically and methodically 'helped a certain class of people to succeed' for over two centuries.

    It doesn't surprise me for one moment that there are many white people who just can't accept that they have an inherent advantage in this country. However, anyone who understands American history and is honest with themselves would readily admit that white people have certain privileges that people of color still struggle to achieve to this day. So many whites, especially of the older generation, want to gloss over the rampant racism that permeated throughout this country for centuries. They point to the fact that we elected a half black person as our President as proof positive that racism is dead. They question how in the world America could be racist if we have a black President. It's a red herring argument that works well for those who are susceptible to that nonsense, but a red herring is all it is.
  • pr
    2014-10-21 04:17:06 PM
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    Well said Jared. I agree completely!
  • johnnycee
    2014-10-21 06:04:13 PM
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    So this Government that you speak of has at it's ahead an African-American, the highest Law-Enforcement officer in the Nation is also African-American, plus too numerous to count, Mayors of several large Cities in the United States are also of African descent, there are also State Governors who are of African descent, here in Philly we not only have a Black Mayor, but also the District Atty, both Police and Fire Commissioners , the Chair of the Election board, the President of the City Council and the head of the School district are all African -Americans, so all these Government officials are part of the "white privilege " theory? Your argument holds some merit if we were speaking of an earlier time ,I would say up to the early 60's, but not now, there has been instances of racism that's for sure, but not of the pervasive nature that you speak of.
  • TJ
    2014-10-21 06:50:23 PM
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    JC,
    The most obvious instance of white privilege is across a desk when a 68 year old white man hires a few people but never ever even considers hiring an African American or any person who isn't white because his company employs 26 people so it's not enough to matter to anyone in the govt. who measures discrimination. Unfortunately that happens all over America every single day. If you can't see that you're wearing blinders.
  • ClayTaylorNC
    2014-10-21 06:56:22 PM
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    johnnycee Wrote: So this Government that you speak of has at it's ahead an African-American, the highest Law-Enforcement officer in the Nation is also African-American, plus too numerous to count, Mayors of several large Cities in the United States are also of African descent, there are also State Governors who are of African descent, here in Philly we not only have a Black Mayor, but also the District Atty, both Police and Fire Commissioners , the Chair of the Election board, the President of the City Council and the head of the School district are all African -Americans, so all these Government officials are part of the "white privilege " theory? Your argument holds some merit if we were speaking of an earlier time ,I would say up to the early 60's, but not now, there has been instances of racism that's for sure, but not of the pervasive nature that you speak of.
    The, "theory" is for society as a whole, not individually speaking. Yes you can point out several African Americans and other races other than Caucasians, in positions of authority, wealth and success. But the point is that in today's America there is a privilege 'built in' when you are born Caucasian. It's not as though it is celebrated or pushed. People like to say it's just a thing of the past, then turn around and call someone out for being racist. Now would you say racism is a thing of the past? No. Slavery is a thing of the past, not racism. To say racism is strong today, and white privilege is not is ridiculous. Not that they are they same thing, but they both are part of the same issue.
  • pr
    2014-10-21 07:00:45 PM
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    Obviously, many people have a difficult time understanding that concept!
  • johnnycee
    2014-10-21 07:25:01 PM
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    Some people like to hold onto past injustices caused by many who are not even alive in todays world so as to justify their current bias, so when a 68 year old man looks across his desk and sees a black man, he then should him hire over other candidates, even those who may be more qualified because of what, past injustices done to this mans race that he had nothing to do with, am I correct, or am I not understanding the concept of white privilege? Is not this white man exercising his white privilege when he denies the white man's employment but instead opts to hire the black man .
  • jaredsxtn
    2014-10-22 11:26:25 AM
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    johnnycee Wrote: Some people like to hold onto past injustices caused by many who are not even alive in todays world so as to justify their current bias, so when a 68 year old man looks across his desk and sees a black man, he then should him hire over other candidates, even those who may be more qualified because of what, past injustices done to this mans race that he had nothing to do with, am I correct, or am I not understanding the concept of white privilege? Is not this white man exercising his white privilege when he denies the white man's employment but instead opts to hire the black man .
    Some people like to hold onto past injustices because those injustices continue nearly unabated to this day. Our country, through its centuries old policies, has waged war against blacks. It used to be through slavery. Then Jim Crow. Then through our criminal justice system. Don't believe me? Why in the world would crack cocaine land you in prison for ten times longer than white powder cocaine if our laws weren't racist? Hell, we even have vigilantes who bravely patrol their streets and shoot down unarmed kids for committing the terrible crime of walking while black in their own neighborhoods. What do so many whites in this country do when something like that happens? Give a collective shrug and ask what the kid must have been doing wrong that made the brave and heroic vigilante murder him.

    It is quite interesting to see an older man insist there is no such thing as white privilege. It's just like Bill O'Reilly, who grew up in a whites only town, but balks at the idea of him being a recipient of white privilege. I guess it's easy to not notice your privilege when you've had it for your entire life.

    Just because we had a civil rights movement in the 1960's doesn't mean that racism is over. Fifty years is one generation. People that fought tooth and nail against the civil rights movement raised their kids to make them think they are better than blacks. Those kids are now having children. That is why the deep south is still struggling to rid itself of the rampant racism it has been accustomed to for centuries.

    Racism permeates throughout our entire society. White people get scared when they see a black person walking down the street. Why? Well, because the media has portrayed the "scary black man" as a villain for hundreds of years. Those kinds of things are ingrained in our brains and don't just go away with legislation. They have to go away with a change of consciousness in this country and we are far from that day. We may have a black President, but we're also witnessing the biggest rise of hate groups in America since the Jim Crow era.

    Keep telling yourself that there's no white privilege though. Whatever helps you sleep better at night...
  • TJ
    2014-10-22 12:32:41 PM
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    Well said.
  • johnnycee
    2014-10-22 01:01:59 PM
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    I still don't understand your interpretation of "White Privilege", is it strictly that black America is not being helped by a white bureaucracy headed by a black man? or that the descendants of those long dead slave owners and oppressors should now pay for what was considered not only sociable acceptable but legal, and should it be for those descendants only? Now if the Ethnic driven organizations can't achieve what you want as some sort of parity with the rest of white America, and it's not from lack of effort, but you seem to be ok with selected discrimination to achieve that goal.
  • jaredsxtn
    2014-10-22 01:17:25 PM
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    johnnycee Wrote: I still don't understand your interpretation of "White Privilege", is it strictly that black America is not being helped by a white bureaucracy headed by a black man? or that the descendants of those long dead slave owners and oppressors should now pay for what was considered not only sociable acceptable but legal, and should it be for those descendants only? Now if the Ethnic driven organizations can't achieve what you want as some sort of parity with the rest of white America, and it's not from lack of effort, but you seem to be ok with selected discrimination to achieve that goal.
    You do realize there was government sanctioned discrimination and racism long after the abolition of slavery, right? Have you ever heard of Jim Crow? My goodness. You and O'Reilly are exhibit A of this nonsense that racism is done with because we have a black President. You selectively pick 'evidence' to back up your claim while disregarding any evidence to the contrary. I wrote multiple instances of racism that is still alive and well today and your only retort is asking who we would pay slavery reparations to. What about the racist laws we have on the books now? Why didn't you bother commenting on any of those?

    There are many people alive today who are directly responsible for enforcing the racist laws we used to have. They enforced the Jim Crow laws and taught their children to be racist. Our criminal justice system is a joke when it comes to our black citizens. And your only response is 'blame Obama!' 'It's all his fault now!' It truly shows the very narrow minded and juvenile thinking millions of whites in this country continue to put forth.

    I have no problem with affirmative action to achieve greater equality for minorities. None whatsoever. And I will continue to have no problem with affirmation action until the day that blacks are treated as equals; until the day our criminal justice system treats blacks the same as they do whites; until police stop shooting unarmed black kids because they felt 'threatened'; and until all the people who were responsible for Jim Crow have met their maker.
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