Is this a freedom letter - or not?

[Torie]

Some might view the letter below as literally a freedom letter. Others might say it is facilitating  the campus becoming an intellectual toxic waste dump. Your choose. It's from the Dean of Students to the incoming Freshmen class of my alma mater, the University of Chicago.

this letter[/url]

[Torie]

Completely missed the point of trigger warnings and safe spaces, HL.

What do you view the point of these strictures that was missed?

[Torie]

Except there's not really such a thing as "the real world" in a society that is dominated by artificial, human-made institutions. Implying that there is is basically tantamount to implying that there's a natural order to things, and that the way it is is the just the way it is—the way it must always be. And... that's not true.

The way things are set up, whether in workplaces, hospitals, government, or schools, is premeditated. Decisions are made by people in power to run schools efficiently, automate banking this way or that way, channel resources into a hospital here or there... the world is an intensely manicured place, crafted by those with the most power.

So while it may be true that currently we are unlikely to always come across safe spaces when we need them, that doesn't negate the fact that things should change. And where they can, why shouldn't they? "It's sh-tty everywhere, so it should be sh-tty here too" doesn't quite sit well with me, because you can literally use that mantra as an obstacle to pretty much every kind of positive change you can name (indeed, you can even use it to reverse positive change). This university big-wig instead decided to create a roadblock when he could have been an ally or at the very least said nothing at all. And as I think we've hopefully established, legitimate safe spaces that serve a clear purpose for people who have been victimized don't hurt anyone at all. I mean, I hear you when you basically say that safe spaces prevent people from building a thick skin... But I read that as "safe spaces make it more difficult for people to learn that they should shut up about their problems." Let's face it: A thick skin shouldn't be necessary—that's victim-blaming. The onus for change should be on the assholes who make people feel like sh-t. So yeah—vilifying safe spaces is outrageous.

And I stand by my comment about privilege. I'm not saying you necessarily fit the bill (you can decide for yourself). What I am saying is that just because a person doesn't feel or understand the need for a safe space themself doesn't mean they have the right or requisite wisdom to tell others who do need one that they're wrong or sh-t out of luck. And if a person does do that, then yeah—I'll admit that I don't have much respect for them.

In your opinion, should the entirety of a campus be a "safe place," or just some room somewhere to which one can retreat?  You did not speak to trigger warnings.  What is the zone if any that should apply to them?

[Torie]

I would never willingly praise any university administrator, politically correct or not. This moronic culture war is a petty distraction from the fact that higher education, especially in America is led by money-grabbing spivs.

I mean, does anyone doubt that the real audience for this letter are alumni with deep pockets and a smug sense of derision toward kids-these-days and their "safe spaces"?

(The fact that Torie is the person who felt most compelled to share this with us is no coincidence.)

The real audience were the incoming students. In any event, here is a riposte to all of this from a fellow elitist.

[Torie]

Read an article from the student newspaper and they talked to students, professors, advisors, and councilors at the school. All of whom said that they actually do all the things that the President says they don't do there. Horrible Letter because it shows how out of touch the dude is from his own school.

I am curious exactly what the students say they do, that the letter suggested that they don't. The letter stated college policy. It was not focused on what students actually do. Anyway, please elaborate.