White privilege prevents their communities from being the primary target of the “War on Drugs.”
Although whites use drugs just as much or more than anybody else, the cross-hairs of the “War on Drugs” has been focused almost entirely in Black and brown neighborhoods. Several authors have written on the racial disparities in arrests, prosecutions, imprisonment, rehabilitation programs and other aspects of the “War on Drugs.” This has had no effect on stemming the proliferation of drugs in America or the world.
According to estimates by the United Nations, worldwide consumption of opiates, cocaine and marijuana increased by 35 percent, 27 percent and 9 percent, respectively, between 1998 and 2008, despite an overall escalation in seizures and other drug-war tactics. On the other hand, Black communities have been plagued with missing fathers and broken homes due to the unfair practices.
White privilege means no one questions why they get that really good job or into that prestigious university.
Although white privilege has established de facto affirmative action for white folks, many feel threatened by the idea of affirmative action for Black and brown people who have been disenfranchised by the historic and institutionalized white privilege. The Harvard and Tufts study mentioned previously concludes that whites saw race relations as a “zero sum game” where they consider any gains by Blacks as a loss.
