Dear Editor,

There seems to have been a little uproar over my piece on the WFJ protest last week. I say "seems" because no one voiced their concerns directly to me. Instead, I had to hear about how I am ignorant, made people want to vomit, and value my sleep over the workers' livelihoods on the TSL message boards and through second-hand retellings. The opposition to my article was largely based on the assertion that I did not "accept my privilege." However, I am quite aware of my white privilege and of the privilege that going to an elite liberal arts college affords me and the rest of us. I am also aware that my privileged status does not invalidate my critique. To reiterate what I stated last week: I was only criticizing the technique used by protesters, not their impetus for protest (something in which the public acceptance of my privilege might have mattered). Now that I have publicly stated that I am white and go to Pomona College, can people start addressing my article instead of personally attacking me?

Jack Knauer '12