19 replies to this topic

[The Average Joe]

So, you are probably already aware of the "safe rooms" prepared for students who can't handle differing viewpoints without shattering their fragile psyche, but it is getting entirely out of hand. (Link here if you need to get up to speed  http://www.nytimes.c...ideas.html?_r=0

 )

These delicate snowflakes of tolerance cannot even abide a differing idea without melting down into a tirade/protest calling for someone's head. AND THE ADMINISTRATION listens to them!

Latest incidents are at Misso (would require a whole separate topic), and the following incident at Yale. Watch the video, and read the excellent article from The Atlantic. Good Lord. I weep for the current generation and the lack of critical thinking skills. Still, SOMEONE taught them to think and behave this way...I wonder who that might be...

 

http://www.theatlant...at-yale/414810/

 

And another great article from the Atlantic digging into what is going on. Read The Coddling of the American Mind  http://www.theatlant...an-mind/399356/

Here is the video with the infantile reaction. The professor DARED to posit that free speech, even that which was offensive, especially that which was offensive was protected. He also asked who gets to decide what is offensive.  The "offensive" speech , by the way, merely stated that the university should not tell the college students what to wear, merely that that decision should be left up to the students themselves.

https://youtu.be/9IEFD_JVYd0

 

 

 

[Deb aka Resume Lady]

Interesting timing! I had no idea this was such a big thing, but just returned from Texas, where we were visiting with one of my dearest friends who was my former boss twice (he recruited me to California) and who just retired from serving as Dean of Students at a small private university. He shared with us what's been going on on college campuses across the country and how bad it's gotten. We were shocked and almost gave ourselves whiplash shaking our heads.

 

 

Here's a great retort from the Oberlin College Choir, "Real World."

[2 Aces]

College campuses were once known as *institutions of higher learning*, but I'm not sure that's the case any more. They have become *institutions of indoctrination and "how to be offended"*.

All you have to do is listen to some of the nonsense coming from the children in this Missouri hoax. There has been no hard proof of the allegations made, yet the mob of "students" were successful in getting people to resign. This is right out of the Jackson and Sharpton playbook. Make an accusation, get the mob riled-up, make national news, and force people to resign. Sickening.

The childishness and buzzwords of "safe rooms"..."tolerance"..."offensive"..."white privilege"..."oppressed"..."diversity"..."inclusion"...and then stage infantile protests...sounds like something a *Community Organizer* might be a part of, along with the Black Panthers and the clueless, brainwashed *Black Lives Matter* mob.

See, once again I didn't mention which political party revels in this kind of crap.

And BTW, for those of you who say "wow, is this really going on"?...I have to ask you, do you do any critical thinking?...do you follow what's going on in this country?...where do you get your *news*?...or do you even care where this country is headed?

Bizarre.

[The Average Joe]

This is a pretty good parody of political correctness gone to extreme, but probably a little too close to reality. Not sure whether to laugh or cry...

 

https://youtu.be/9IEFD_JVYd0

[bordercolliefan]

Avg Joe, I agree with you 100%. The incidents last week at Yale and Claremont McKenna show that these students lack a fundamental understanding of our democratic values of free speech and civilized debate. It is both sad and frightening.

Do not paint all liberals with the same brush: President Obama has spoken out against this very danger:

http://www.breitbart...s-call-culture/

President Obama criticized progressive campus culture during a speech Monday saying he is not a fan of the safe spaces/call-out culture being fashioned by his own base.

At a town hall event in Iowa yesterday, President Obama offered his unsolicited opinion of this new culture being developed on campus. “I’ve heard some college campuses where they don’t want to have a guest speaker who is too conservative or they don’t want to read a book if it has language that is offensive to African-Americans or somehow sends a demeaning signal towards women. And, you know, I gotta tell you, I don’t agree with that either,” Obama said.

Obama labeled this a form of coddling saying, “I don’t agree that you, when you become students at colleges, have to be coddled and protected from different points of view.” This brought a round of applause.

“I think that you should be able to — you should invite — anybody who comes to speak to you and you disagree with, you should have an argument with ‘em,” Obama encouraged the crowd. He added, “But you shouldn’t silence them by saying, ‘You can’t come because my–I’m too sensitive to hear what you have to say.’ That’s not, that’s not the way we learn either.”

[Deb aka Resume Lady]

This stuff scares me and I hope the pendulum swings back sooner than later. The college experience has traditionally been one of expressing opinions, learning about differing cultures and opinions, learning and applying critical thinking skills, developing/enhancing self-discipline and problem-solving skills...all while continuing to grow, mature, and learn about oneself. It makes me cringe to see what is going on today.

[The Average Joe]

BCF. I was very happy to hear Obama say that. I almost posted a thread with the header AJ agrees with Obama (look for flying pigs) when it happened. I am also happy that you agree with me (but then, you do seem pretty reasonable   ) However, while not painting all progressives with the same brush, there is no denying which side of the political isle this kind of ideology stems from.

 

You don't see conservative speakers on a college campus, you don't see conservative administration on college campuses, you don't see conservative professors on college campuses (less than 5%). No, the left owns this. This is the obvious conclusion of years of policies championed by those who are now getting bit in the behind by the monster they have created.

 

Unfortunately, we all have to deal with the little delicate darlings they have created. Once they enter the real world where every sentence contains a micro aggression that they protest their offense about, we are left to deal with the wake of self righteous indignation. Of course, they could always stay in academia and teach "communication studies" by discussing 50 Shades of Grey like that idiot communications professor in Mizzou who was looking for "muscle" to physically remove a student reporter from a self proclaimed "safe space." Apparently they don't teach irony in Mizzou...

[bordercolliefan]

The SacBee has this on the front page today.  Unfortunately, I can't find it in the digital version.  One of the incidents they cite is a student who was offended by a professor using the phrase "You guys..." because it is sexist.  Uh... ok.  I guess this is someone who has never been to the East coast, where that phrase is the standard expression for any group of people.... But no, it's more fun to assume that the professor is a despicable male supremacist committing "micro-agressions" against female students. 
 
I would like to tell these students:  Study, do your work and do it well, and you will be successful regardless of your gender, race, heritage, etc.  (And I feel like my personal experience backs that up).  But if you spend your days getting offended by well-intentioned (though perhaps clumsy) remarks and licking imaginary wounds, then you will fail in life, because no one wants to hire such a person (I wouldn't). 
 
I can predict that some of these kids won't get jobs and won't be successful, and they will conclude it is because of discrimination.  I want to tell them, no, it's because you're a whiner and no one wants an employee who whines instead of doing their work and who constantly creates conflict with coworkers by getting "offended" at minor things.

[TruthSeeker]

Great post BCF, I am surprised to see Obama has that viewpoint but glad to see it.

 

Enough is enough.

 

Stuff like this is turning colleges into baby sitting child care centers. 

 

How can a person expect to accel in school if they let any and all different opinions turn them into thumb sucking crybabies?

 

People who get butt hurt and cry at the drop of a hat are not anywhere near ready for the world if that's how they are behaving and to have colleges setup programs to help them be babies is a major step backwards in education and progress.

[2 Aces]

There is a political element (with the help of political operatives) behind all of this crap...from Ferguson to Baltimore to this hoax in Missouri, etc, etc. But the fact that so many of you *dance around it* tells me that YOU have been kowtowed (threatened) by *political correctness* and the fear of being shouted-down by others, even in this forum.

You DO realize that, right ??

And when you give-in to that, when you are afraid to face the elephant in the room, you exacerbate the problem.

Think about that. Have courage.

I know that my hints of a *political relationship* are very upsetting to some of you and your delicate sensibilities. If you are offended by my comments, get over it.

And another thing...Obama is a big phony. He has been stirring-up this crap for 7 years. Big deal if he pretends he's against it, he knows he's got his little army out there pushing this garbage. The fact that some of you believe him is amusing.

[bordercolliefan]

To clarify, I am not saying we should not examine and talk about our biases.  And if someone is the recipient of a remark they believe contains biases (the infamous "where are you from?" to someone with slightly darker skin), by all means they can respond in a way that gently educates the well-meaning, but un-thinking person:  "Well, I am an American, but if you're asking about my family's heritage...") 

 

What I object to is the recent trend of over-reacting to an innocuous remark ("You guys..."), declaring oneself wounded, and demanding some hapless administrator's or faculty member's head on a platter. 

 

Did you all hear about the incident at Claremont McKenna over Halloween?  I was alerted to it by a Facebook post by a student along the lines of, "If anyone else is hurting and devastated by the events of last week and questioning whether they can even stay in this community...  my door is always open blah blah."  My God, I thought, what could have happened?!  I didn't hear of any mass shooting, but it must have been something like that.  Well, no.  What happened was, the Junior class president appeared in a photo with some of her friends, two of whom were wearing sombreros and fake mustaches as their Halloween costumes.  There was a huge outcry, and the class president was forced to resign (yes, you read that right) merely for appearing in the photo with these other kids. Absolute insanity.   

[The Average Joe]

Sorry 2A. I think you are missing the point. No one is arguing that this is not from a certain political perspective. In fact, two completely opposite political viewpoints (AJ and BO), even agree. . While I tend to be on the same side of the political divide as you, sometimes I think you are a bit too quick to jump the rhetoric up where not really necessary.  Facts will speak for themselves (unless they concern AGW, then they are buried or "adjusted")

 

That is one reason why I respect BCF despite not generally agreeing with her political leanings. She is not a blind ideologue or a party lemming, but one who applies life experience and logic to come to a conclusion. To maintain our integrity, it is important that we "smack our own" when they deserve it. I think she was pretty clear where she stands on this, and indeed smacked her own (careful BCF, you are sounding dangerously close to conservative, hehe).

 

Truth be told, most people don't fit into a set mold or stereotype. I find that if we focus on the similarities in belief rather than the differences, it's pretty easy to get along with people one on one. Heck, I can even get along with most vegans! I just nod thoughtfully as I eat my delicious bacon while they evangelize.  That being said, after working in Berkeley today, I think if I hear one more sentence or see one more sign/poster that contains the words diversity and inclusion in the same sentence, I'm not sure I can resist the urge to slap the stupid out of someone. Near as I can tell, liberal bastions like college campuses and towns have diversity of everything but thought/ideas. (See thread above)

 

BTW, I am hardly kowtowed or oblivious. I just try to lay things out from my perspective and be persuasive why I believe what I do.  Heck, if my Father in law can come around after so many years on the other side, anything is possible!

[nomad]

There will be no JUSTICE until the university is burned to the ground and every student has a flat screen TV and bottle of Jack in their hands!

[bordercolliefan]

I think there is starting to be a much-needed backlash. 
 
This was in the SacBee today from a black columnist:

What happened at the University of Missouri should’ve been a civil rights victory for the ages: Students, angry about the school’s persistent refusal to address racism on campus, decide to take on its gutless administrators with David-like righteousness. Under a wave of public pressure amplified by a boycott threat from the football team, the administrators cave with a Goliath-like fall from power.

It should’ve been a glorious triumph – not just for them, but for students across the country, who are fed up with racism and bigotry on campus and have mounted protests of their own.

Instead, the student activists, known as Concerned Student 1950, keep shooting themselves in the foot, tarnishing their achievement with idiotic decisions that have hurt their credibility.

As a black woman who remembers all too well what it was like to be a black student on a campus that was overwhelmingly white and tone-deaf, it has been painful to watch.

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.co...l#storylink=cpy
 
And here is a story that aired on NPR today that I would say, on the whole, portrays recent activism in a negative light. http://www.npr.org/2...cal-correctness

Here's an excerpt, and a sample of what passes for intellectual inquiry on college campuses nowadays:

CORNISH: That brings me to a viral video that has come out in the last couple of days out of the protest at Yale. And this is an interaction between a Yale student and a professor whose wife had - also a professor - had publicly challenged a school memo about cultural sensitivity. Here's a sample of their interaction.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: Then why the [expletive] did you accept the position?

ERIKA CHRISTAKIS: Because I have a...

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: Who the [expletive] hired you?

CHRISTAKIS: I have a different vision...

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: You should step down. If that is what you think about being a master, you should step down. It is not about creating an intellectual space. It is not. Do you understand that?

CORNISH: Roxane Gay, talk about the role of technology and social media in this moment, right, because these are the kinds of things that can be kind of played on repeat that can come to represent the images of what students are doing.

[Carl G]

This has been building for some time.  Jerry Seinfeld and other comedians refuse to perform on college campuses because of political correctness.  When I was in college, as a conservative, my sensibilities were attacked all the time.  Instead of hurting me, I believe it made me stronger.

 

I find it odd that paying $30-60K per year for school seems to generate no outrage.  Assuming $30K tuition, five classes per student, and 30 students per class - that is $180K income per offered class for the school.  How much money does it really take to run the college?  Oh yea, and don't forget the money donated by rich benefactors.