My Privilege and Place
/I have no right as a first world white male.
I shouldn't be upset or offended by a rape case being turned around.
By the use of previous history of sexual behaviour by a victim to prove a perpetrator’s innocence.
There is no real reason why I should care
And I have no right to have an opinion on whether it's right or true.
To be offended that the victim had been named.
Or that the accused should have a right to anonymity.
I shouldn't demand that he should be named.
I have no reason to care about the millionth person killed by a bomb
Dropped on a town in the middle of a country thousands of miles away from where I live.
My privilege and place mean I shouldn't give a toss.
And I don't need to care that another black man was shot
In a small part of the states just because of his race
And I shouldn't care if a man makes a derogatory comment about a Woman
If only other men hear it
Or a person says something racist
If everyone around is white
And I may not deal with these situations perfectly
Every time that I experience them
And my anger and fear as I hear these things
Shouldn't be so extreme
But I am and I do and I will and I should
And I can't stop it
But I can fight it
And my privilege and place
Gives me the power to face
Up to the situation
Gives me the tools to fight it
And if I look and see
To use my empathy
Beyond the comfy town
In a comfy county
In a comfy country
In a lucky place
Born with a lucky face
So all I can do is as much as I can
By talking and sharing
And confronting (if I'm brave enough)
And By teaching my children.
To pass on to them the revolutionary spirit
To not give up the fight
To change the injustice
Because one day
It may be them
Who will have so much power that they
Might have chance to change the world
Or stop a war
Or simply treat strangers with love and respect
Treat everyone as equals
Or simply my boys may be in a situation where they could take advantage
Of a drunk girl
But they choose not to
And to be honest
That would be enough
By Simon Zec
From: United Kingdom
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