Men's Group

I suppose ultimately, the most obvious manifestation of what one might call "privilege" is the relative lack of fear that I feel, both day to day and in specific situations. Which is certainly not to say that all women live in fear at all times. And I may feel less afraid in part because I happen to be a relatively large, perhaps intimidating, man. But knowing the statistics on male victimization of women, combined with the fact that women on average are smaller and physically weaker, I do probably feel safer out there in the world, than I would as a woman.

Now, this is largely my own gut feeling, and as I said, there are always exceptions. And intellectually, I know that men are more likely to be murder victims than women are. The difference is, men murder and sexually assault women at astronomically higher rates than the reverse. Which is not to say that all, or even most, men should be seen as dangerous or threatening. But I suspect that were I a woman, I would have a certain wariness toward (male) strangers that, being a man, doesn't even cross my mind now.

And I do think you made a very valid point with your mention of the Vietnam Memorial. Were the 50,000+ young American men who lost their lives in a foreign country "privileged"? Not enough to save their lives anyway...