Swampscott Selectman: I Misunderstood Term 'White Privilege'

SWAMPSCOTT, MA — Selectmen Don Hause said he misunderstood the term "white privilege" in the context of the Black Lives Matter in a Facebook post Monday.

"Initially I personally took offense to the term because I grew up in a very poor home raised by a single mom and I have been working since I was 11 years old. The past 6 years have been particularly difficult as I had to deal with cancer and the many challenges that come with it. Because of that, and having to work very hard for anything I have achieved, I do not feel entitled nor privileged," Hause wrote. "However, as I have come to understand more, I realize that is not what the term is meant to imply. Mine was a natural reaction based on my misinterpretation of its meaning."

Some Swampscott residents have called for Hause to resign from the board after a bartender who publicly accused him of calling the Black Lives Matter movement "liberal bull----." Hause denies the details of the exchange and says Erik Heilman, 24, of Salem, took a private conversation he was having dinner with his wife and another couple out of context while they had dinner at Mission on the Bay in Swampscott June 11.

Heilman was initially fired then rehired by the restaurant. Hause has been banned from Mission on the Bay, but said he has no ill-will towards Heilman. Hause believes much of the criticism directed at him stems from a letter he sent to the Swampscott Reporter in which he supported the local police department.

"On the question as to whether or not I support the BLM Movement, I will answer a question with a question. Do I support the Cause/Principles, or the organized Movement? My understanding of BLM is that it is not a singular organization, but a federation of individual organizations who share the common Cause, but choose to express their message differently," Hause wrote Monday.

"I am disappointed that people misconstrued this as my supporting police brutality and as a condemnation of BLM. To be clear, I 100% support the Principles behind BLM that are committed to identifying and ending systemic racism against people of color (and all minorities) and am willing to do as much as I can including listening and learning more," he said. "That being said, do I support those factions of a movement that condones violence, looting, intimidation, and suppression of Free Speech - absolutely not. Why is it that people are not allowed to separate the two?"

Dave Copeland covers Swampscott and other North Shore communities for Patch. He can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).