With everything that is happening in the world, "P" words are prominent. Protest. Privilege. Protect. Now that I look at it, protest and protect are only different by one letter, just like defund and defend are. One letter that separates negative behavior behavior from positive behavior. I understand protest and protect. It is the word privilege that baffles me. Most people reading this entry could be accused of being privileged but in order to label a person, you need to know the true definition. Here it is. Privilege: A special advantage, immunity, permission, right, or benefit granted to or enjoyed by an individual, class, or caste. Let's break it down.
Special advantage: I go to work every morning and I am 65 years old. I pay for my health insurance, taxes, both federal and state and fund the welfare system for those of us who do not work.
Immunity: If I do a crime I pay for it. If I run a red light or speed, I have to send a check to the violations bureau. If I am caught doing any other crime, I will be arrested and bail will be set.
Permission and right: As long as I follow the rules of the government, I have permission to do things and rights to do so also. If not, I will face the penalty.
Benefits granted: I have never seen any. I pay my way so I have possessions. I do not run into a store and benefit from broken windows. I never came home with a free television set that has shards of glass on the box.
To review: I am not privileged. I am hard working. I came from immigrants that made a life for themselves through hard work and sweat. Do not bandy around words that do not define someone else.
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