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Samples of Snowflakes' Safespace Sophistries
This Thursday conservative commentator Ben Shapiro is scheduled to speak at UC Berkeley. To gird the fragile ideological loins of its student body, that campus's Executive Vice President and Provost, Paul Alivisatos has published this memo for the university's students and faculty.
We are deeply concerned about the impact some speakers may have on individuals' sense of safety and belonging. No one should be made to feel threatened or harassed simply because of who they are or for what they believe. For that reason, the following support services are being offered and encouraged:
Employee (faculty and staff) support services
I strongly urge readers, especially the sheltered progressives among us who believe all this is just the offal of fevered foothill fascists, to go to the above links and read what the UC is today officially telling its community both explicitly and, more importantly, implicitly. These are tough times for the development of critical thinkers and thought. These sentiments (aka fears) are real, and you simply cannot make this stuff up. (more here)
Posted at 10:49 AM in California, Critical Thinking & Numeracy, The Liberal Mind | Permalink
"tough times for the development of critical thinkers and thought. These sentiments (aka fears) are real, and you simply cannot make this stuff up."
Yep, it's real. Very real. At first, I thought they were just play acting the Drama Queen and Crisis Junkie roles, horsing around. No, it is real and as serious to them as a heart attack would be to me or you.
Ben Sharpiro is about the opposite as Milo as you can get. In fact, he thinks Milo is a clown, not to be taken seriously, and is far from being a true conservative (as Ben sees himself). He dissed Milo, Milo dissed him. Milo is not a true conservative as much as a social commentator provocateur with the accent of a well educated private British schooled graduate and never claimed to be a 'true conservative.' Sharpiro is along the lines of a legal constitutionalist presenter as a Mark Levine.
Did like his response to a gang of feminist coeds when asked what makes him think the Boy Scouts should be just for boys. Sharpiro retorted, "Because of their name."
Then again, Milo did have co-eds in counseling 4 months after his engagement on a campus, many undergoing therapy who never even went to the event. Haven't kept up on those particular suffering souls, so it might be 10-12 months by now. Shapiro will never approach that record and I doubt the fragile ones with be covering themselves with fake menustral blood to show the world what full blown triggered looks like as Milo does have a way of hitting those triggers. Never knew a guy could push so many buttons in just a few seconds and never knew our SJW's had so many triggers and trip wires wrapped all around themselves. Like playing Wack-a-Mole, but I digress.
Sharpiro plays the unapologetic serious "just the facts, ma'am" Jack Webb. He would be the "straight man" of the Abbott and Costello comedy duo. So, what's the problem?? It ain't free speech the fuss is all about. It's the children screaming for Helicopter Mom to make that bad man go away. They call it hate and the long list of isms. Heck, some are still in therapy when some mischievous young adult wrote "Trump" in chalk on a prestigious campus steps. How long ago was that?
The situation was addressed by banning chalk on campus grounds.....and additional mental health professionals. Some say the Buttercups do recover over time and but I wonder if they ever will. They have yet to do so as of this writing.
PS: Does anybody know how long they stay in the campus safe places? Wonder if there are some SJWs still in the safe places afraid to come out long after the lights were dimmed and the doors were locked. The lasting tribute to our righty guest lecturers who challenged group think and poked 'em in the eye is the temporary safe places are now permanent fixtures on campus. A monument to the traumatic hour, if you will.
Throw Antifa into the mix and you got street scenes akin to France when the unemployed riffraff from the marginalized neighborhoods start rioting, the burn tires and cars, and bust a lot of windows. Starbucks has the window guy on speed dial.
Robert Reich, professor @ UC Berkeley ($242,613 UC-Berkeley salary, $40,000 speaking fees in 2014) says those masked crusaders are not students at Berkeley. He did not recognize them as students at Cal. Psssst, Robert. I did not recognize any of them either because they covered their faces in black cloth. Just like ISIS. They all look the same to me.
Whether our SJWs and assorted campus Snowflakes are putting on the Antifa garb or not, they appear to have been using the same playbook.
http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2017/09/09/what-learned-from-antifa-handbook-for-starters-won-t-believe-who-is-defined-as-fascist.html
Good article from Jan, 2017. Surprisingly fair and balanced. Physical self-segregation. Everybody gets a space place to get away from you. Don't bode well for the society at large. But, then again, birds of a feather flock together, so maybe it's only natural.
http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-furedi-safe-space-20170105-story.html
Lord knows we can't go to college and hear viewpoints with which we disagree. I thought that college was where you learned new viewpoints and not a place to simply confirm your narrow world view. Silly me.
Posted by: Barry Pruett | 10 September 2017 at 10:46 AM
I think it is less about viewpoints and more about violence. The ideological wedge that has been driven into American society is almost full hilt when one considers the violence that is occurring in our streets. That violence is the direct result of the divisive rhetoric that is now commonplace pitting one group against another; whether that is in the form of race, religion, sexual preferences/identifications, or ideology doesn't matter as it is all the same. There are segments of any human population that are prone to violence. And there are plenty of political strategists who know how to pull the right strings. Violence is a tool despots use to quell the publics' right to protest and thus their speech. Violence begets violence and when the threat of thug violence scares the people off the streets, the country is in trouble. We are beginning to see this now. So to criticize the university, part of the working folks versus the ivory tower wedge, for their attempt to throw some water on the fire, you are only throwing gasoline.
Posted by: Robert Cross | 10 September 2017 at 12:12 PM
What the cross one fails to recognize is that the leftists who run the universities created the snowflake antifa's. Toss in the occupiers rebranded and anyone can see clearly who are the street thugs in all the dem strongholds. But keep telling that big lie bobbie. ;-)
Well Cross,, going to blame the "Right"? Look back at how many times "O" stuck it to law enforcement. " They acted stupidly". Stuck his nose where it didn't belong," If I had a Son". "O" and Co. gave these thugs the green light. Then the schools of LIB logic got in on the game. Any wild ass grievance was given full attention. So.. How many "recognized" genders are there today?(other than the two GOD gave us?)
With all of that came the violence, and all the excuses NOT to prosecute those offenders.
Now you have the Lefty ANTIFA claiming to use violence to (ha)stop violence before it happens.( And some LIBS buy that BS)
I never saw much form anyone on the Left condemning the violence. Anyone that was Right of Center was fair game, If anyone on the Right fought back, it was(and still is) considered a hate crime.
RobertC 1212pm - Well, your counsel about does away with all social criticism today. I'm sure I don't understand how Alivisatos' memo, and other communications like that in academe, can be characterized as an "attempt to throw water on the fire" - perhaps you could explain that.
But it is clear to most of the country how such examples of coddling in extremis do foment the intolerance emanating from the so-coddled Left that explodes into violence, as dutifully solicited and prescribed in publications like the 'Antifa Manual'. It is people like Alivisatos who characterize the other side as being naturally so hateful, racist, exclusionary, xx-phobic, ... as to cause the massive damage to tender psyches that today requires these be addressed through the extremes of prophylactics ranging from thuggery in the streets to assuming the fetal position in an institutionally provided secure and padded redoubt.
R Cross - nice try. The left is morally and intellectually bankrupt. They can't win in a straight up exchange of ideas and facts and reason, so violence is all they have left. From violent, leftist thugs attacking Trump supporters outside his rallys as he ran for POTUS to the screaming head-bashing rioters on college campi shutting down conservative speech (with administrative support) we see the fascist left go full on with physical attacks and violent disruptions. Other folks ideas and political beliefs do not cause violence. The universities are not trying to put the fire out, they're coddling these little snow flakes and buying into their neurotic behavior. By doing that, they legitimize the idea that conservative speech is some how evil and needs to be silenced. The universities need to let the rioters know next time they cause trouble, they get the old scalp massager treatment from the police and then some jail time and a fine. Any student that disrupts an approved forum of any sort should be expelled. Then you'll see the violence die out pretty darn quick.
Posted by: Account Deleted | 10 September 2017 at 01:24 PM
I think it is more about viewpoints, which leads to some to violence. The violence is a vehicle to squash viewpoints. The history of mankind is a history of violence...in part. What makes it alarming is the frequency of violence to squash viewpoints, often times near the vicinity of a college campus.
The word violence is losing its meaning. The Leftist mantra just days ago was "silence is violence." I don't see a lot of violence on college campus in and of themselves. There was some black protests around campuses over police shootings, but not much violence on campuses. Throw out occasional guest speakers on college campuses and you will not read about waves of violence across the quads and dorms.
The safe places are springing up like gangbusters to protect a certain group from criticism, debates, questioning positions, and things they disagree with, people they disagree with.......ah heck, it's to insulate Snowflakes from contrary viewpoints.
The soggy pretzel bedwetters just don't have the emotional development or backbone to tolerate such things. It's all about viewpoints. Violence is a vehicle to silence the opposition, real or imagined. First the SJWs justify their bigotry and intolerance by demonizaling those of differenting views until the use of violence is not only justified in their eyes, but also rationalized away. We used to call that "crossing the line". We used to call them zealots. Today they resemble cult members more than pupils.
Youth have always be idealistic, but this new crop of purists have turned it religious fanatic sect mentality. The individual' identify is slowly eroded until it is nothing more than how he/she sees herself as part and parcel of the group and the associated groupthink. It's all about viewpoints.
Perhaps the bigger and biggest picture here is why in the heck do the Berkeley staff, professors, and students need mental health professionals on the ready when young Ben Sharpio speaks? Why, why, why? It certainly cannot be worse or more scarey than any number of movies that premiered this year or what is on You Tube. What exactly is their major malfunction?
Do the professors and staff have no adult mentors? Is this some kind of hoax?
BT at 6:21 - Because they need mental health professionals, period. They're mentally ill. Left wingers are mentally ill. They operate in a state of fantasy. Reality is beyond their ability to comprehend. Not enough money? Print some more. Some one bothers you with ideas you don't like? Get rid of them.
Reality is tiresome? Legalize MJ.
Ahh... Berkeley.... Where thugs run wild in the streets unchecked. But sell a hot dog without a permit? The cops will hunt you down.
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-hot-dog-vendor-video-seizure-20170911-story.html
You know, somebody better keep an eye on those professors. Last Feb. in Berkeley, the phone videos from Milo's cancelled event has several young students and folks in line (audio) say, "Hey, that's my professor, pointing to a hooded old hoodlum that looked like Bernie or And the most in your face ones have been professors, associate professors, and quasi associate professors wannabes. The younger 28 somethings like Professor wannab Mr. U-Locks are most dangerous and unwelcoming. Title IX violation.
Skip to the second part. Last paragraph is a nice pamphlet of the upcoming Sharpiro event.
In "Big Agenda," author David Horowitz notes that the steady purge of Republicans from academic faculties over the past 50 years has led to the transformation of academic curriculum into indoctrination for the political Left — which is why we are seeing viscerally negative outbursts from college students toward conservatives these days.
History is by far the least conservative-friendly department, where liberals eclipse conservatives by a ratio of 33.5-to-1.
According to a recent study of 7,243 professors in economics, law, psychology, history and journalism/communications at the 40 top-rated universities, 66 of 170 of those universities surveyed had no Republican faculty members whatsoever. And overall, liberal professors outnumber conservative scholars by nearly 12 to one.
Even more worrisome: History is by far the least conservative-friendly department, where liberals eclipse conservatives by a ratio of 33.5-to-1. And for this reason and myriad others, we need to hear from conservatives like Shapiro more now than ever.
http://www.lifezette.com/momzette/poor-babies-berkelely-students-upset-speaker-can-get-counseling/
"Berkeley hunkers down and seeks safe shelter from approaching one-in100-years storm of diversity of thought." —Twitter satirist @hale_razor
Scratch a modern academic and you will almost always find a closeted "Zampolit"!
The letter, titled "Recognizing and Responding to Students of Concern," was provided to The College Fix by a professor at Utah Valley. The document instructs faculty on the various types of behaviors that merit concern, including stalking, angry outbursts and bullying, as well as the signs that a student may harm himself or others.
The guidance letter gave professors advice on how to respond to a wide range of student behaviors. Professors are instructed to use techniques ranging from "supportive gestures" to calling 911, depending on the severity of the situation.
It also advises faculty to report "concerning…communication" and vulgar language.
The professor who provided the memo to The Fix said it was distributed one day after an administrator told faculty at a back-to-school meeting that if they heard a statement that made Utah Valley University seem "less inclusive," that statement should also be reported to the Behavior Assessment Team.
"I'm afraid that this Behavior Assessment Team is a bias response team in disguise," said the professor, who asked to remain anonymous to avoid professional retribution.
"Yes, even in a deep-red state at a university in one of the most conservative counties in America, faculty are afraid to speak their minds publicly if their opinions aren't 100 percent politically correct," the professor told The Fix.
The scholar added he sees the Behavior Assessment Team as "a tool of intimidation instead of a tool to foster inclusion."
The College Fix made repeated requests to campus officials for comment. Associate Dean of Students Ashley Larsen directed The Fix to speak with campus spokesman Layton Shumway; Shumway, however, did not return any of The Fix's repeated emails.
The professor who spoke to The Fix said the change in policy may have come as a response to a profanity-laced flyer that was distributed on campus in the wake of Donald Trump's election.
"In the past," the faculty member told The Fix, "we have always been told that [the Behavioral Assessment Team] was for students who were a threat to physical safety…or for students who are disrupting the learning process. This year is the first time when we have been encouraged to report students for their words that may go against the inclusivity initiative or that may subjectively make someone 'feel unsafe.'"
Other behavior that the university suggests could be reported to the Behavior Assessment Team include "unreasonable demands," "behavior that challenges University expectations" and "making numerous complaints."
Yeah…..I'm looking at you JoKe!
https://www.thecollegefix.com/post/36604/
re fish 742am - It is literally hard to conceive that college students today are so immature and have so much time on their hands that they have time to 'misbehave' in class and on campus. What subjects are they studying that allow them so much time away from their papers, books, and notes?
GR, a BA in Disgruntled Studies (including journalism and sociology) does not take as much time and effort as a BS in Chemistry, Physics, Engineering, ChemE... Or a BA in English Lit for that matter.
Gregory 848am - I didn't know that ;-)
My daughter (a civil engineering major) is taking a political science class at Cal Poly this fall. She is soooo dreading having to hear liberal non-sense for three hours a week. Where is her safe space?! Lol. I told her to make the professor's life miserable, but she is too nice.
The whole campus and frat row is one big safe place.
"These 'costumes' make a joke of mass incarceration and the prison-industrial complex, systems that disproportionately brutalize people of color,"
http://dailycaller.com/2017/09/11/students-shut-down-cops-and-robbers-party-for-making-a-joke-of-a-system-that-kills-minorities/
I am beginning to see a pattern here. Looters are good, arresting them is White Supremacy, and no jokes allowed.
She is soooo dreading having to hear liberal non-sense for three hours a week. Where is her safe space?! Lol. I told her to make the professor's life miserable, but she is too nice.
The problem is that professors didn't used to feel so comfortable issuing punitive grades to the more recalcitrant students. That ship has sailed!
Not to worry Barry, Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo an ag/architect/ engineering school. The county as a whole is pretty conservative. Most of the students are pretty conservative. You have your daughter ensconced in a safe space. Not much danger of her being converted to evil proggie ways. You will most likely still be able to recognize her next time you see her.
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/cal-poly-san-luis-obispo/1640833-how-liberal-conservative-is-cal-poly.html
Posted by: BunBun | 12 September 2017 at 09:45 AM
Told ya to watch out for those professors.
https://www.facebook.com/RowdyConservatives/photos/a.217983685002343.55586.217926015008110/1162676660533036/?type=3&theater
Back to Berekely.....and the topic
"And without any sense of irony, the school says, "No one should be made to feel threatened or harassed simply because of who they are or for what they believe." Except conservative speakers, we suppose. Heck, Shapiro left Breitbart News in 2016 over the site's deep support for Donald Trump, and still students are too fragile to hear what he has to say. Not only fragile, but violent. Let the irony sink in for a minute that these self-styled "Nazi hunters" are targeting a Jew."
https://www.facebook.com/PatriotPost
Oh boy, Trump is asking for it now. More safe places needed ASAP.
https://www.facebook.com/1920800098175564/photos/p.1920802748175299/1920802748175299/?type=3&theater
It's those snake in the grass lousy dumb as rocks professors that should be fired today. Truly they are a national disgrace, a scourge of society, and a threat to our liberties. A curse they are. Fascists
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2017/09/19/non-stem-professors-reportedly-push-for-boycott-uc-berkeley-free-speech-week.html
Posted by: Bill the Tozer | 19 September 2017 at 08:00 AM