LETTER: ‘White privilege’ and the semantics of argument

I have noticed that occasionally two people argue when they are actually in agreement. They are expressing the same sentiment but using different words and phrases. The focus becomes a disagreement over the words and phrases, not the central idea. I believe we are seeing this on the subject of “white privilege.”

If I am lectured for my white privilege, I will defend myself, stating I have worked hard for what I have and have never received any advantage because of my race. True or not, we start the discussion as an argument. I believe if the issue were stated as those who are not white often face additional obstacles due to their race, we would see agreement. Then we could start working on a solution rather than fighting over semantics.