Are we going to admit Universities are producing thin-skinned people?

[eyeball]

I think Boges made it clear. The BDS is a small part of the problem with 'thin skinned' people on campuses. The need for all these safe spaces for all groups, black, white, asian, femenists, LGBT's ect ect ect.

It became slightly less blurry in hindsight at best. The title, OP and cite had zip all to do with BDS.

People say offensive things, you can be part of the problem or part of the solution and ignore the asshats. Trolling works in the real world too.

Maybe there's a need for safe places for racists, bigots and asshats.

Edited April 7, 2016 by eyeball

[Big Guy]

A University campus is supposed to be a censorship free zone. As part of the University experience, students are encouraged to question and test all "accepted" attitudes. Controversial speakers are often invited to express their views, not to be drowned out by jeers but allowing all the students to argue the failings of the controversial issue.

These are the cream of our education system and the leaders of tomorrow. My experience "in the old days" was that anyone was allowed to speak on any subject to allow the merit of their argument dictate the reaction. The University campus was treated as a special neutral zone and during my experience at University of Toronto, the Toronto Police, OPP and RCMP (both in uniform and undercover) were allowed on campus only by request and permission. The University had their own "policing" organization.

Intelligent, partially educated, young, naive, inexperienced and passionate young people have to be allowed to be subjected to, experiment with and make decisions about controversial issues to make up their own minds on the validity of the arguments. The challenge is that some of these youngsters decide that while they should be allowed to hear from anyone, others should be kept from hearing what these students deem to be "hate" opinions.

That is why picketing outside of a presentation medium was acceptable but disruption of the presentation was considered crossing the line.

Edited April 7, 2016 by Big Guy

[cybercoma]

Even in the residences on campus? Even in support groups where people are working through issues? There is nothing absolute about free speech. More importantly free speech is about government arresting you and placing legal sanctions against your speech and even then there's limitations. That's certainly not what's going on here unless you're talking about the Conservatives making laws to arrest BDS supporters.

[Boges]

A column today by Blatch about a panel she took part in where a disclaimer was given about how she was in a safe place where human rights should be respected.

http://news.nationalpost.com/full-comment/christie-blatchford-are-canadians-really-so-fragile-that-we-need-safe-spaces

I think students who believe such a disclaimer is needed in real life are woefully prepared to deal with issues in their adult life. Universities are doing a poor job preparing young people for their adult life if they keep trying to make all discourse "safe".

It's ironic too because Blatch was shouted down at a University and had an event cancelled because she was talking about her book on Caledonia.

[eyeball]

I think students who believe such a disclaimer is needed in real life are woefully prepared to deal with issues in their adult life. Universities are doing a poor job preparing young people for their adult life if they keep trying to make all discourse "safe".

It's ironic too because Blatch was shouted down at a University and had an event cancelled because she was talking about her book on Caledonia.

Why don't people just shout back? I can't help but get the sense the Blatchfords of the world make a big show of being shouted down so they can play the victim card too.

This whole PC thing and especially the reaction to it is as phony as a three dollar bill.

Everyone should be embracing the opportunity for idiots to shoot their mouths off inappropriately. Recall that adage about removing all doubt when people open their mouths.

[Argus]

A column today by Blatch about a panel she took part in where a disclaimer was given about how she was in a safe place where human rights should be respected.

http://news.nationalpost.com/full-comment/christie-blatchford-are-canadians-really-so-fragile-that-we-need-safe-spaces

I think students who believe such a disclaimer is needed in real life are woefully prepared to deal with issues in their adult life. Universities are doing a poor job preparing young people for their adult life if they keep trying to make all discourse "safe".

It's ironic too because Blatch was shouted down at a University and had an event cancelled because she was talking about her book on Caledonia.

Hardly a surprise. Just look at some of the thin skinned, easily offended people on this web site, and the moderators who strive desperately to prevent them from being offended by politically incorrect references to groups, nations, cultures, religions or values. I was suspended once for telling one such easily offended person that her opinion was 'dumb'. Clearly I had violated their safe space!

Edited April 15, 2016 by Argus

[GostHacked]

Hardly a surprise. Just look at some of the thin skinned, easily offended people on this web site, and the moderators who strive desperately to prevent them from being offended by politically incorrect references to groups, nations, cultures, religions or values. I was suspended once for telling one such easily offended person that her opinion was 'dumb'. Clearly I had violated their safe space!

Calling someone's argument stupid or dumb is not something people need to get upset over. If they do, then they got bigger problems. I post a lot of stupid things.

And well, South Park called it with the last season and PC Principle. I rank it as their best season to date. This season addressed it all. Jenner, feminism, safe spaces, gender issues, Cosby. What better way to show that some of the arguments are stupid indeed!?

[eyeball]

What better way to show that some of the arguments are stupid indeed!?

What they're trying to show is that using PC to shout down criticism is strictly a left wing phenomenon when nothing could be farther from the truth.

See most posts in which the West is implicated in the mess known as the ME for example.

[Smallc]

I don't know if this was shared here. Bloomberg hit the nail right on the head. I heard a similar view from a lawyer on The 180 this weekend;

https://www.facebook.com/TheHill/videos/10153741733149087/

[Boges]

This is pretty entertaining.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oss7KmiHLmA

HATE SPEECH!!!!!!

[Moonlight Graham]

Our society produces thin-skinned people, not just universities. I probably just offended someone.

[SpankyMcFarland]

PC is not confined to the left any more. Right wingers also use it as needed.

[The_Squid]

PC is not confined to the left any more. Right wingers also use it as needed.

Especially the religious....

[Guest]

Wouldn't that be religiously correct, as opposed to politically correct?

[cybercoma]

Politically correct because it's what you have to do to get elected.

[herples]

Our society produces thin-skinned people, not just universities. I probably just offended someone.

Generation X and baby boomers have certainly lowered the bar for the next generation.

[Argus]

I think this deserves a place here, as an example of the kind of absurd PC nonsense universities seem to be conditioning people to expect. It's about a discussion of 'free speech' by that Toronto U professor who made you tube videos where he said he will use 'she' to describe females and 'he' for males.

The videos sparked a firestorm of reaction, saw Peterson receive two warning letters from the university (including one co-signed by arts and science dean David Cameron, who kicked the event off on Saturday with the now required and thus unctuous nod to it taking place on the traditional lands of various indigenous peoples) and has put his career at risk.

Then moderator Mayo Moran, a lawyer and former law school dean who is now the provost of Trinity College, came to the microphone to acknowledge the difficulty of the subject matter and to announce that the university had arranged “for support” for anyone who might need it just outside the hall.

http://news.nationalpost.com/full-comment/christie-blatchford-if-gender-identity-debate-at-u-of-t-was-about-free-speech-then-the-battle-is-truly-lost

Edited November 20, 2016 by Argus

[The_Squid]

Young people need emotional assistance if they aren't called by made-up pronouns?   How are these people going to live in the real world???

[Wilber]

48 minutes ago, The_Squid said:

Young people need emotional assistance if they aren't called by made-up pronouns?   How are these people going to live in the real world???

One wonders what will happen to them once they leave their academic bubble. Hopefully they are smarter than some of the idiots teaching them.

[Bonam]

1 hour ago, The_Squid said:

Young people need emotional assistance if they aren't called by made-up pronouns?   How are these people going to live in the real world???

A lot of people in universities find all the social justice brainwashing that goes on there as ridiculous as the onlookers. Most "young people" will be just fine. The people who don't care for this stuff tend to be more interested in their actual studies so you won't see much activism against this latest wave of idiotic ideology. Therefore the overall discourse is set by those who have nothing better to do than advocate these "causes", and people who disagree feel that it is better to be quiet about their opinions lest they be shunned by their peers. A big part of social justice brainwashing is about training people how to effectively shut down opposing opinions, which primarily involves shaming people as racists or sexists if they express opinions not in full accord with social justice ideology and encouraging friends to purge such people from their social circles and generally dehumanize them. 

So there's a minority of really impassioned people who shut down all debate and make universities look like ideologically homogeneous bastions of extremist social justice views, but the reality is a lot of students (and staff and faculty) do not agree, or are apathetic, and just keep their heads down and focus on their actual jobs/studies. 

Edited November 20, 2016 by Bonam

[cybercoma]

4 hours ago, The_Squid said:

Young people need emotional assistance if they aren't called by made-up pronouns?   How are these people going to live in the real world???

Who cares about pronouns, right? I'm sure Argus would have been totally fine with a colleague at work refusing to use "he," "his," and "him" and instead calling Argus by "her," "hers," and "she." If Argus doesn't like that, he can suck it up because free speech allows people to call him by whatever pronouns they choose, not the ones Argus prefers.

Edited November 21, 2016 by cybercoma

[Guest]

Yeah, but how are you supposed to remember twenty one of the damned things?  I agree there should be some sucking up done. 

[cybercoma]

2 minutes ago, bcsapper said:

Yeah, but how are you supposed to remember twenty one of the damned things?  I agree there should be some sucking up done. 

Yeah. You're right. It must be tough for someone with the mental faculties of a university professor to remember how to address a student in his class.

[Michael Hardner]

What is'the debate' ?

[Guest]

It's not that he doesn't want to try, it's just that social media firestorms, rabid protests, and university administration poltroon initiated firings that would follow should he get one wrong scare the willies out of him.