To “check” one’s privilege is to stop and understand that you are exploiting a power differential, and that you need to stop.  Men calling a woman a b**** (that’s a word men can use against women, but women have no such word to use against men).  Straight people calling someone a f** (same deal).  Checking your privilege is realizing that you’re exploiting that differential and stopping yourself, preferably before you start.  But better late than never.

So anyway, I was looking back at some old posts, and came across this one, where I invoke the words of a veteran to prop up my support of the new GI bill.  And it made me think: am I exploiting this person?  The military preys on people with less privilege.  That’s how they snare people: offer college educations to people who don’t think they can otherwise get one.  Am I, a person who was basically handed not just a college education but multiple opportunities at graduate education, exploiting this person?

In the end, I decided: no.  Because the veteran explicitly says that they are “spreading the word among my fellow vets and my family and friends, asking them to spread the word about Bush and McCain not supporting the GI Bill.” And so in reblogging their words, I’m doing something they ASKED me to do.

But what about this post, from a couple months ago, where I liberally quote Latoya Peterson and dnA, two people of color?  I’m quoting them, with attribution and links.  And in some sense, deferring to their analysis, without any real changes of my own.  But I chose their voices out of many.  And I chose to crop their voices out of the original context of their own blogs, and their own writing.  And I chose to add my own voice, and post it on my own blog.  And my friends read it, and I get some status from this whole thing, right?

So how messed up is that?  What if I had just posted links to their entries, or the full content?  Is that something I should be doing more of?

Or should I try to use my voice and my own writing to translate ideas for my audience?

Honestly, I’m not sure.  Advice?

I think the truth is, the whole “cure for AIDS” thing is easy for privileged Americans to endorse and that’s why we’re so into it.  It’s easy for a few reasons: 1) few of us are disease researchers, so we don’t actually have to DO anything, except maybe donate a little cash, or buy a red ipod 2) it pumps up our economy 3) in the end, the “cure” will only be available to rich white people anyway.

In other words, it’s exactly the kind of “help” that privileged people love.

You know, like writing self-righteous blog posts.