I have met very few people who did not acknowledge that on average, white people have it better than black people. If he already believes this, he will probably not see the point of your privilege argument, because it seems just be rehashing the obvious. If he doesn't believe this, if he thinks for example that black people have it better because of AA or something, then he's not going to believe in privilege.
People of our parents' ages are not doing so well in the logic departments, you know. (brainpower begins degenerating shortly after its final peak around 24, after all.) They work more on memory (what worked before) and emotion. If they seem irrational, that's probably because they are. Your chances of convincing them with a logical argument to attest to believing in some sweeping general social ideas that they may find pointless (or explicitly disagree with) seem pretty low.
Recognizing that my mother is not a rational being and not capable of using logic the way I can (or the way she used to,) has helped me not feel quite so frustrated at some of the idiotic things she says. I try to focus on and appreciate the things she can still do, like read to the kids or take them to the park.
Obviously I don't know your dad or if he's someone worth having a relationship with. But if he's basically a decent person who thinks that discrimination exists, what's the point of making your relationship hang on whether or not he understands and acknowledges privilege? Likewise, if he doesn't believe that discrimination exists, you're completely wasting your time trying to change his mind at this point.
Or in other words, my parents may be annoying (and occasionally offensive) as hell, but they used to wipe shit off my butt every day, and I'm grateful for that.
People of our parents' ages are not doing so well in the logic departments, you know. (brainpower begins degenerating shortly after its final peak around 24, after all.) They work more on memory (what worked before) and emotion. If they seem irrational, that's probably because they are. Your chances of convincing them with a logical argument to attest to believing in some sweeping general social ideas that they may find pointless (or explicitly disagree with) seem pretty low.
Recognizing that my mother is not a rational being and not capable of using logic the way I can (or the way she used to,) has helped me not feel quite so frustrated at some of the idiotic things she says. I try to focus on and appreciate the things she can still do, like read to the kids or take them to the park.
Obviously I don't know your dad or if he's someone worth having a relationship with. But if he's basically a decent person who thinks that discrimination exists, what's the point of making your relationship hang on whether or not he understands and acknowledges privilege? Likewise, if he doesn't believe that discrimination exists, you're completely wasting your time trying to change his mind at this point.
Or in other words, my parents may be annoying (and occasionally offensive) as hell, but they used to wipe shit off my butt every day, and I'm grateful for that.
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