Microaggressions

[Bonam]

Says the guy who never has to deal with such things.

You know this how?

Seriously. Some of us have had to deal with real discrimination, not "micro-aggressions". If "micro-aggressions" is all someone has to deal with, they should be counting their blessings.

[Black Dog]

Seriously. Some of us have had to deal with real discrimination, not "micro-aggressions". If "micro-aggressions" is all someone has to deal with, they should be counting their blessings.

OK, let's hear some of your tales of discrimination too.

[TimG]

Being rude to white people is called just being rude.

So in your bizarro world it is impossible for a white person to be "rude" to a non-white person since any rudeness is a "microagression". Nothing but nonsensical religious dogma from the church of political correctness. Edited June 29, 2015 by TimG

[Moonlight Graham]

OK, let's hear some examples.

You're being micro-aggressive to me right now, attacking my non-politically correct views. I can't deal with this! Stop!! OMG help me moderators!!

[Black Dog]

So in your bizarro world it is impossible for a white person to be "rude" to a non-white person since any rudeness is a "microagression". Nothing but nonsensical religious dogma from the church of political correctness.

In a word: no.

You're being micro-aggressive to me right now, attacking my non-politically correct views. I can't deal with this! Stop!! OMG help me moderators!!

Yeah so you're clearly full of crap.

[Michael Hardner]

I would be far more afraid of offending a white person, based on this thread alone.

[Bonam]

OK, let's hear some of your tales of discrimination too.

Sure. Since discrimination is "multi-generational", let's start with my grandparents generation.

- 90% of family killed in concentration camps

- The remainder barely survived in evacuation camps in Siberia, where the locals hated them for being Jews, and their meager food rations being stolen by Russians was ignored by authorities

- Parents were barred from studying subjects that they wanted to in university, as per the policy of the Soviet Union

- Having to leave behind all possessions and be stripped of citizenship in order to finally be allowed to leave the Soviet Union in 1990

- In Israel, being hated for being "Russian". I myself was constantly beat up in school for being Russian by the Sabras

- Finally moving to Canada, and then America. Only to find myself in a situation in America where by law, I am not allowed to work for any but the employer that the government approves for me.

So forgive me if when someone complains about "micro-aggressions", I laugh in their face.

[Black Dog]

Sure. Since discrimination is "multi-generational", let's start with my grandparents generation.

- 90% of family killed in concentration camps

- The remainder barely survived in evacuation camps in Siberia, where the locals hated them for being Jews, and their meager food rations being stolen by Russians was ignored by authorities

- Parents were barred from studying subjects that they wanted to in university, as per the policy of the Soviet Union

- Having to leave behind all possessions and be stripped of citizenship in order to finally be allowed to leave the Soviet Union in 1990

- In Israel, being hated for being "Russian". I myself was constantly beat up in school for being Russian by the Sabras

- Finally moving to Canada, and then America. Only to find myself in a situation in America where by law, I am not allowed to work for any but the employer that the government approves for me.

So forgive me if when someone complains about "micro-aggressions", I laugh in their face.

All that sounds really shitty. But why do you feel what happend to you invalidates anyone else's experiences?

[cybercoma]

Cause if someone is offended by tiny unintentional statements that are part of everyday use, they should toughen up and grow a thicker skin rather than expecting everyone else to change.

There is no right to never encounter anything one might find offensive.

People need to grow up.

Fine for someone who doesn't face exclusion from society to say. One microaggression, whatever, no big deal. The problem is that people who do not have privilege face these microaggressions every single day all day. They're constantly being "put in their place." Your response? Grow a thicker skin. How about you grow a conscience maybe and start to realize what kind of environment this creates and what kind of divisions in society this perpetuates? But like I said, privileged people have an awful hard time recognizing their privilege. We wouldn't want you to have to go out of your way to understand that you don't have to face these problems and that these problems serve to keep you above others in the social hierarchy.

[cybercoma]

Would it startle you if one suggested most of your posts here would violate their 'micro aggression' description?

That you have absolutely no idea what microaggression theory means is not startling at all. In fact, you don't even engage in microaggressions. You just make blatantly racist, bigoted, and sexist arguments without the micro. Edited June 29, 2015 by cybercoma

[cybercoma]

you should end up in front of a human rights council

Strawman much?

[cybercoma]

Nobody should be silencing people, especially professors, on their particular views on issues like immigration or affirmative action.

Is there anything in the guidelines that I posted which wouldn't allow professors to express unpopular opinions on immigration and affirmative action? I'll save you the time. The answer is no.

Why is it so difficult for you people to engage with the actual subject, rather than draft up these ridiculous caricatures of what's being argued by microaggression theory?

The fact that it has generated 3 pages of whinging already shows exactly what the problem is with blind privilege.

[Moonlight Graham]

Yeah so you're clearly full of crap.

Not really. Ok I'll play along: Last month I was declined from renting housing because I wasn't the same ethnicity/race as the owners.

Btw, it's also "microagression" for you to assume I've never had to deal with "micro-aggression" because I'm a male, and you probably assume myself and people like Bonam are white. Stop being so sexist and racist!

[cybercoma]

Indeed. I think the social justice warriors have finally pushed too far

Have you read anything about microaggressions? This theory has been around since 1970.

Finally the social justice warriors have pushed too far?

You're showing how ridiculously biased you are throwing around the idiotic "social justice warrior" label like it's defamatory. Ten years ago it was spitting anger about libruhls! Today the buzz phrase is "social justice warriors!"

Meaningless garbage that allows you to be dismissive without actually giving thought to or addressing the arguments.

And then you go and complain about others doing that, as if you have some moral high ground here.

[TimG]

Is there anything in the guidelines that I posted which wouldn't allow professors to express unpopular opinions on immigration and affirmative action? I'll save you the time. The answer is no.

You are being deliberately clueless or dishonest. The claim is "microagressions" create a hostile learning environment and since various laws make the university responsible if a "hostile learning environment" exists it is pretty clear that this edict is, in effect, a ban on such speech even if it was not stated explicitly.

Edit: I find it incredibly ironic that in the course of arguing how innocent comments are really "racist statements intended to demean" you are completely oblivious to the implication of a set of "recommendations" distributed by the university administration. I would say the "recommendations" are in fact "microagressions" intended to stifle free speech and prevent meaningful debate on certain topics.

You could, of course, argue that people should take the recommendations at face value and not read too much into them but that pretty much undermines your entire "microagression" thesis.

Edited June 29, 2015 by TimG

[bush_cheney2004]

....So forgive me if when someone complains about "micro-aggressions", I laugh in their face.

Indeed...must be a first world problem. Playing the victim at every turn is far more debilitating than any "micro aggression" theory imported from Cal Berkeley.

[cybercoma]

Seriously. Some of us have had to deal with real discrimination, not "micro-aggressions". If "micro-aggressions" is all someone has to deal with, they should be counting their blessings.

And micro-aggressions are another layer of discrimination that people have to face on top of the situations where they face overt discrimination. Do you think people of colour, women, LGBTIQ people, people with disabilities, etc. who bring attention to micro-aggressions never faced overt discrimination? That they're just trying to pick nits to complain? Microaggressions show the way discrimination is built into society. That it's so intrinsic that people isolate and create hierarchies without even thinking about it.

[cybercoma]

I would be far more afraid of offending a white person, based on this thread alone.

Look out for white people offended by people being offended.

[bush_cheney2004]

The term 'people of colour' is racist micro aggression IMHO.

[cybercoma]

Not really. Ok I'll play along: Last month I was declined from renting housing because I wasn't the same ethnicity/race as the owners.

That's not a microaggression. That's overt discrimination that you should bring to the human rights board.

[cybercoma]

The term 'people of colour' is racist micro aggression IMHO.

I don't care about your opinion, in my opinion. Edited June 29, 2015 by cybercoma

[bush_cheney2004]

I don't care about your opinion, in my opinion.

I know....you get to make all the labels for other groups. More micro aggression.....

[cybercoma]

I know....you get to make all the labels for other groups. More micro aggression.....

Good lord. I didn't make the label people of colour. Do you try hard to appear this dense or does it come naturally?

[bush_cheney2004]

Good lord. I didn't make the label people of colour. Do you try hard to appear this dense or does it come naturally?

The term is offensive and racist....don't play with things you didn't make or don't understand.

[Moonlight Graham]

Is there anything in the guidelines that I posted which wouldn't allow professors to express unpopular opinions on immigration and affirmative action? I'll save you the time. The answer is no.

Why is it so difficult for you people to engage with the actual subject, rather than draft up these ridiculous caricatures of what's being argued by microaggression theory?

I never read any of your posts in this thread yet, so I'm not responding to what you're saying, I'm responding to the OP. Which said:

"So the University of California in Berkeley recently implemented a policy of trying to educate people about 'micro-aggressions' in order to prevent people from doing 'micro-aggressions'. The implication is that those who do perform 'micro-aggressions' may suffer disciplinary such be fired, not get promotions, not get tenure, etc."

The fact that it has generated 3 pages of whinging already shows exactly what the problem is with blind privilege.

It shows that "blind privilege" is making some people become so politically correct as to try to silence others when their views go against their own politically correct notions, and this is making people like myself, Bonam, TimG etc. PO'd enough to respond. Some "micro-aggression" examples I can agree are insensitive but many others are just ridiculous.

From the OP video, apparently when I say "affirmative action is racist" I'm being racist or discriminatory etc., which is completely not true, I agree with the problem AA is trying to fix but disagree with the method, re: that fighting racism with more racism is the correct way to fix systemic racial inequality. It's a fact that by it's very definition that affirmative action is racist, but that makes me aggressive against "visible minorities" (a politically correct term for "non-whites).