Being a woman is kind of like being a cyclist in a city where all the cars represent men. You’re supposed to be able to share the road equally with cars, but that’s not how it works. The roads are built for cars and you spend a great deal of physical and mental energy being defensive and trying not to get hurt. Some of the cars WANT you to get hurt. They think you don’t have any place on the road at all. And if you do get hurt by a car, everyone makes excuses that it’s your fault.
A friend of a friend (via onesmallflowerofeternity)
And even further. Let’s expand the metaphor of the cyclist to not only to women but generally human beings who are less privileged. Because let’s face it not all bikes are the same. Some have more gears to help them conquer mountains while other have less air in their tires which makes travel that much harder.
Some cities don’t care much for their cyclist population but others try to make the life of cyclists better and safer by installing bike lanes making it easier for cyclists to come from a to b.Cars will still be faster but the cyclists will get along faster and safer.
This is a great analogy not just to explain privilege but also to explain how programs help human beings who are less privileged and why they should be in place.
(via seelenfaengerin)
Thoughts?