The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines privilege as a special right, advantage, or immunity granted or available only to a particular person or group of people.

From a political standpoint, people who have privilege gain authority in the decision making of general society, and are often exempt from rules or forms of oppression. Oppression is the long term and unjust maltreatment of groups of individuals in society, who have no capability to break free from their conditions due to systematic violence or abuse. Those who have their rights systematically violated in society are the victims of oppression and are the "underprivileged."

What do I mean by systematic? The systems I am talking about here are the government, the media, the large churches, businesses and public corporations that control the thinking of the majority or powerful minority. In other words, these systems may cater to the "oppressors."

When an individual's culture, race, gender, religion, class, or physical capability related rights are threatened or neglected by majority ruling systems, there is an imbalance of privilege.

Racism, classism, sexism, ableism, are forms of systematic oppression caused by neglect or torture.

Those who are innocent of charge may suffer from said oppression. Prejudice should not be confused for systematic oppression because anyone can have prejudice or discriminate against individuals, but oppression is a larger scaled measure of prejudice or discrimination that allows individuals to be degraded or excluded from socially or federally driven privileges. Social benefits should also not be confused for privileges because those who are oppressed can only use benefits to equate to those higher up than them in society. Although benefits try to ensure equality, it is not until equity is reached that we can have complete fairness (or equal privilege) in society. Equity is complete fairness and impartiality which people can experience only when they have the same opportunities that output the exact same fairness in outcome.

Here is an example of passing white privilege in the American justice system:

Here is an example of white privilege in the American education system:

Passing privilege: Your skin tone, physical capabilities, gender, your race, or your social class are factors which determine your acceptance in society--things visible to the eye. Here are some examples of privilege:

• If you are capable of traveling from place to place alone without having fear of sexual assault, due to your physical appearance, gender or physique
• If your income does not get in the way of your ability to pay for a college education or human necessities, while you do not require food stamps nor tremendous discounts to buy basic household equipment
• When people of your race or religion are not constantly accused of being terrorists or super-predators in their own homeland — you have privilege
• When you see people of your own race being fairly and accurately represented in the media you have privilege
• When your government does not consciously try to separate you from the general population through incarceration, special lockup, or specialized interrogation based on your race or religion, you have privilege.
• When you are capable of making executive decisions or being free from taxation based on higher income, you have privilege
• If you are not constantly accused of being a monster, terrorist, or gangster due to your religion or race, you have privilege
• If you can legally marry the person you love, you have privilege
• If your mosque, temple, or church is not interrogated by special government forces as an alleged club for the growth of "terrorist ideologies," you have privilege
• If you are born in the country you currently live in; especially in the United States, you have citizenship rights, natural non-alien rights, and privilege

Why is privilege important in the current context of the world?

The elections are occurring, and we must understand that there are oppressors and individuals in the world who are taking advantage of their privilege in order to dismantle the diverse fabric which creates our livelihood, economy, and society. Please understand your privilege and help those who are suffering from oppression.