Both the left and right are capable of amazing hypocrisy and authoritarianism. It seems like too many people want to wear he mantle of "victim," when others behave in provocative ways that are constitutionally protected. First Amendment freedoms have fallen victim to campus speech codes. I guess the next step is microaggression codes.
Further, First Amendment values are central to the educational process.
“Some call it the new face of racism — not the
blatant acts of bias that recently led to the University of Missouri's campus
unrest and resignation of the president and chancellor. Instead, a phenomenon
known as "microaggression" — everyday slights and snubs, sometimes
unintentional — is drawing widespread attention across college campuses and
kicking up a debate about social justice and free speech rights. . . . Some critics, however, say they worry that
the microaggression movement chills free speech, increases conflict and
perpetuates an aggrieved sense of victimhood.
Bradley Campbell, a an associate professor of
sociology at Cal State Los Angeles, said the movement is transforming society
from a "dignity culture," in which people are taught to have thick
skins and refuse to allow others to affect their sense of self-worth, to a
"victimhood culture" that advertises personal oppression. . . . Such
a shift, he argued, could increase mental health problems and 1st Amendment
conflicts, such as campus speech codes and the recent attempt by University of
Missouri students to bar journalists from entering a public area they deemed
their "safe space."
He also said that labeling those who
unintentionally offend as aggressors seemed harsh, potentially creating more conflict
and alienation among groups.
Others defend the focus on microaggression
as the next step forward in the country's long, slow march toward greater
equality and understanding.”
"
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