Why are colleges shutting down free speech?

[Attorney General, LGC Speaker, and Former PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Aren't safe spaces just places where racism isn't allowed?

Depends on the college.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

They aren't. They're promoting it, but some people are just not comfortable with hearing alternative points of view.

If they can't hear different points of view, they don't belong in college. This is what happens when you bring the lowest of the low into prestigious institutions. Unqualified morons. And they aren't studying engineering. Useless majors like Women's and Men's Studies, etc. I don't see what that major can provide in terms of a paycheck.

It's spreading all over the Western world. A Canadian American Trump supporter wore the hat and a SJW called it "unsafe". How foolish. She thinks her little bubble revolves around her and her type. Wonder what job she'll get in the future?

I was referring to conservatives as much as liberals.

Sorry, but education isn't and shouldn't be purely vocational. It's about analytical thinking and analysis, moving beyond simple A to B thinking. There are jobs for people who major in something other than engineering, and while it's important to have some students going into business or a STEM field, we need people studying the humanities as well. Pushing too many students into STEM will simply guarantee that a larger percentage of the population is without a job. We should have engineering students who enjoy engineering, and are motivated to contribute to the field, not people who are only in it for the money.

The general impression one gets is that majors of the name "X Studies" tend to be short on analytical thinking and long on polemics, tho I will admit they do tend to branch across the more traditional divisions of the humanities. They do that by dividing the humanities by "who is affected" rather than by the "what is affected" that the traditional divisions of the humanities have emphasized.  This non-traditional division isn't bad per se, but as I pointed out, these relatively novel programs have had a general tendency of emphasizing a particular point of view rather than critical thinking. That isn't too surprising.  If they weren't trying to advance a particular viewpoint, the initiators of these programs would have been unlikely to go to the bother.  One can hope that once the initiators and the initial followers retire that these "X Studies" start to lose their excessive orthodoxy and become more like the more traditional humanities.

[Xing]

They aren't. They're promoting it, but some people are just not comfortable with hearing alternative points of view.

If they can't hear different points of view, they don't belong in college. This is what happens when you bring the lowest of the low into prestigious institutions. Unqualified morons. And they aren't studying engineering. Useless majors like Women's and Men's Studies, etc. I don't see what that major can provide in terms of a paycheck.

It's spreading all over the Western world. A Canadian American Trump supporter wore the hat and a SJW called it "unsafe". How foolish. She thinks her little bubble revolves around her and her type. Wonder what job she'll get in the future?

I was referring to conservatives as much as liberals.

Sorry, but education isn't and shouldn't be purely vocational. It's about analytical thinking and analysis, moving beyond simple A to B thinking. There are jobs for people who major in something other than engineering, and while it's important to have some students going into business or a STEM field, we need people studying the humanities as well. Pushing too many students into STEM will simply guarantee that a larger percentage of the population is without a job. We should have engineering students who enjoy engineering, and are motivated to contribute to the field, not people who are only in it for the money.

The general impression one gets is that majors of the name "X Studies" tend to be short on analytical thinking and long on polemics, tho I will admit they do tend to branch across the more traditional divisions of the humanities. They do that by dividing the humanities by "who is affected" rather than by the "what is affected" that the traditional divisions of the humanities have emphasized.  This non-traditional division isn't bad per se, but as I pointed out, these relatively novel programs have had a general tendency of emphasizing a particular point of view rather than critical thinking. That isn't too surprising.  If they weren't trying to advance a particular viewpoint, the initiators of these programs would have been unlikely to go to the bother.  One can hope that once the initiators and the initial followers retire that these "X Studies" start to lose their excessive orthodoxy and become more like the more traditional humanities.

It can be the case that these very specific programs don't promote analytical thinking, but it definitely varies from school to school. I wouldn't say that these majors are inherently worthless, as our friend bronz implied. By all means, students who are majoring in Women's/Men's Studies should have exposure to other humanities as well, and should be exposed to a wide range of arguments and points of view. If that's not happening, it's the fault of the institution, not the degree or the student.

[Associate Justice PiT]

I attend one public university (Ohio State) of hundreds in America, but my time spent here has convinced me that the whole issue of colleges shutting down free speech is either massively overblown or somehow magically doesn't apply to us. People protest speakers all the time, sure, (and right-wing groups do too) but nobody seriously expects them to leave or quit over it.

As for the question of guns, we have active organizations on campus that will teach you how to shoot accurately and safely, and help you get licensed to carry. I don't think we've had pro- or anti-gun protests recently, because that issue isn't really particularly salient, especially to young people. Along the lines of gay marriage, while the shouting is continuing, it's basically over and the pro-gun rights people have won.

That sounds very similar to my experience thus far. And I'm a part of several different clubs where there should be numerous SJW's. What gives?

     Honestly, it's a lot like the issue of police shooting unarmed black people. Incidents get reported on pretty faithfully, so it skews public perception of the actual frequency of events. In both cases they are actual problems that ought to be addressed, but not to the extent that someone just following the newscycle would think they are.

[Enduro]

Because everyone is worried more about getting offended than things that actually matter.

[Badger]

They aren't. They're promoting it, but some people are just not comfortable with hearing alternative points of view.

This. Windmills and strawmen belie the OP's "argument".

[Gustaf]

It's almost cute when racists and fascists pretend to like free speech just because their privilege is being attacked.

That said, the faction of the left that conflates being progressive with some weird form of authoritarian left-wing alt-racism is no better in principle, they just happen to be generally a lot more harmless.

As an actual liberal, I think universities should embrace free speech.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

The paradox of "liberals" no longer being "liberal" is nothing new, nor is it particularly worth remarking upon; the same ought be said for those on the right now suddenly clinging to free speech. What is, perhaps, worth noting is the specific manifestation this has taken regarding the somewhat reversed attitudes they each possess regarding individual vs. environment.

Regarding point 1: Since apparently this needs explaining, for centuries, those identified as liberals supported the breakdown of a number of barriers. Years later, those following in their ideological lineage would suddenly seem to reverse course. It's part of a general flow of progress: to break down old barriers in order to erect new ones. The most obvious one would be economic structure itself, where liberals and capitalists supported the smashing of the old feudalist/mercantilist orthodoxy in favor of some sort of "free" market. Much, much later, liberal Franklin D. Roosevelt implemented the New Deal in the United States as one of the single greatest expansions of government in history. The case of "free speech" is perhaps most demonstrative of this process' structure and aims. Liberals burst forth into mid-century America where certain thoughts and ideas, even forms of speech, were taboo if not outright sanctioned by certain institutions. This stood in direct opposition to not merely their principles ("free speech"), but also their ideological aims ("social egalitarianism", put most succinctly). As such, "free speech" would not be just the principle, but the tool by which they managed to dissolve certain modes of thinking in favor of a sort-of intellectual free-for-all*. Now, having, in many respects won that battle, their ideological descendants are tasked with erecting a new norm of speech to suit their overall goals. In this case, the principles fall somewhere along the lines of "freedom from" as opposed to "freedom to", even though the overall primary goal might remain the same. States rights, as well, was initially a liberal invention to oppose the order of the day, but would have to ultimately be shattered by the new order that later liberals would erect. I'm typing entirely out of my ass when I contemplate this, but perhaps only Marxism saw this natural progression and gave it some sort of conceptual framework. Not enough to liberate the serf and make him free labor, he must be provided for as well!

Regarding point two, the specific forms of this progression today, this is perhaps what is most amusing. Conservatives, as late as the 1990's, sought to regulate the sale and distribution of music and other media with "explicit" content. The argument was essentially that it could set a bad example for children who might emulate the behavior. "Progressives" today spout the same rhetoric. While conservatives were perhaps more afraid of "gang culture" and progressives "the patriarchy", the concept of person-in-environment is the same. Conversely, what would a 1990's liberal have said? Probably something to the effect that people were smart enough to make their own decisions about what they listened to and watched. After all, just because someone plays a first-person shooter video game doesn't mean they're going to go on a killing spree! This is the same self-congratulatory type of folk wisdom now being propagated among "libertarians" and the "alt-right" of today.

*NOTE: None of these things were ever fully realized; that's not really the point, though, is it? The point is that they concept is there; in the case of the liberal "We've finally achieved free speech and some level of tolerance!", for the conservative "We used to have free speech in this country!"

[dead0man]

Regarding point two, the specific forms of this progression today, this is perhaps what is most amusing. Conservatives, as late as the 1990's, sought to regulate the sale and distribution of music and other media with "explicit" content. The argument was essentially that it could set a bad example for children who might emulate the behavior. "Progressives" today spout the same rhetoric. While conservatives were perhaps more afraid of "gang culture" and progressives "the patriarchy", the concept of person-in-environment is the same. Conversely, what would a 1990's liberal have said? Probably something to the effect that people were smart enough to make their own decisions about what they listened to and watched.

You're miss-remembering.  The mainstream left was often very much in bed with the conservatives on this.  Tipper Gore was the most important person in the PMRC.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Regarding point two, the specific forms of this progression today, this is perhaps what is most amusing. Conservatives, as late as the 1990's, sought to regulate the sale and distribution of music and other media with "explicit" content. The argument was essentially that it could set a bad example for children who might emulate the behavior. "Progressives" today spout the same rhetoric. While conservatives were perhaps more afraid of "gang culture" and progressives "the patriarchy", the concept of person-in-environment is the same. Conversely, what would a 1990's liberal have said? Probably something to the effect that people were smart enough to make their own decisions about what they listened to and watched.

You're miss-remembering.  The mainstream left was often very much in bed with the conservatives on this.  Tipper Gore was the most important person in the PMRC.

Hardly mis-remembering- I wasn't born! I was generalizing, yes, but I think my point stands. Merely because Clinton didn't have a problem executing a mentally retarded man doesn't mean "liberals" supported the death penalty either. My terminology was referring to people nominally to the left of Clinton/Gore.

[Person Man]

It's almost cute when racists and fascists pretend to like free speech just because their privilege is being attacked.

That said, the faction of the left that conflates being progressive with some weird form of authoritarian left-wing alt-racism is no better in principle, they just happen to be generally a lot more harmless.

As an actual liberal, I think universities should embrace free speech.

This is really good, especially the second statement about left wing authoritarian tendencies being more annoying than threatening.

[OSR stands with Israel]

They aren't. They're promoting it, but some people are just not comfortable with hearing alternative points of view.

If they can't hear different points of view, they don't belong in college. This is what happens when you bring the lowest of the low into prestigious institutions. Unqualified morons. And they aren't studying engineering. Useless majors like Women's and Men's Studies, etc. I don't see what that major can provide in terms of a paycheck.

It's spreading all over the Western world. A Canadian American Trump supporter wore the hat and a SJW called it "unsafe". How foolish. She thinks her little bubble revolves around her and her type. Wonder what job she'll get in the future?

I dont think government should fund those useless majors at all . Those funding should go to degrees or technical programs what actually gets people a good paying job

[Person Man]

They aren't. They're promoting it, but some people are just not comfortable with hearing alternative points of view.

If they can't hear different points of view, they don't belong in college. This is what happens when you bring the lowest of the low into prestigious institutions. Unqualified morons. And they aren't studying engineering. Useless majors like Women's and Men's Studies, etc. I don't see what that major can provide in terms of a paycheck.

It's spreading all over the Western world. A Canadian American Trump supporter wore the hat and a SJW called it "unsafe". How foolish. She thinks her little bubble revolves around her and her type. Wonder what job she'll get in the future?

I dont think government should fund those useless majors at all . Those funding should go to degrees or technical programs what actually gets people a good paying job

Maybe just not fund programs that cause people to be unemployed or pay low?

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

They aren't. They're promoting it, but some people are just not comfortable with hearing alternative points of view.

If they can't hear different points of view, they don't belong in college. This is what happens when you bring the lowest of the low into prestigious institutions. Unqualified morons. And they aren't studying engineering. Useless majors like Women's and Men's Studies, etc. I don't see what that major can provide in terms of a paycheck.

It's spreading all over the Western world. A Canadian American Trump supporter wore the hat and a SJW called it "unsafe". How foolish. She thinks her little bubble revolves around her and her type. Wonder what job she'll get in the future?

How many people with actual "gender studies" majors are there? And you do realize that, outside of just engineering, both private corporations and the government require managers, administrators, social analysts, cultural and regional experts, and so on--positions where the workforce is not reaped from a campus engineering building, right?

[OSR stands with Israel]

They aren't. They're promoting it, but some people are just not comfortable with hearing alternative points of view.

If they can't hear different points of view, they don't belong in college. This is what happens when you bring the lowest of the low into prestigious institutions. Unqualified morons. And they aren't studying engineering. Useless majors like Women's and Men's Studies, etc. I don't see what that major can provide in terms of a paycheck.

It's spreading all over the Western world. A Canadian American Trump supporter wore the hat and a SJW called it "unsafe". How foolish. She thinks her little bubble revolves around her and her type. Wonder what job she'll get in the future?

How many people with actual "gender studies" majors are there? And you do realize that, outside of just engineering, both private corporations and the government require managers, administrators, social analysts, cultural and regional experts, and so on--positions where the workforce is not reaped from a campus engineering building, right?

Business Majors are very useful

[OSR stands with Israel]

They aren't. They're promoting it, but some people are just not comfortable with hearing alternative points of view.

If they can't hear different points of view, they don't belong in college. This is what happens when you bring the lowest of the low into prestigious institutions. Unqualified morons. And they aren't studying engineering. Useless majors like Women's and Men's Studies, etc. I don't see what that major can provide in terms of a paycheck.

It's spreading all over the Western world. A Canadian American Trump supporter wore the hat and a SJW called it "unsafe". How foolish. She thinks her little bubble revolves around her and her type. Wonder what job she'll get in the future?

I dont think government should fund those useless majors at all . Those funding should go to degrees or technical programs what actually gets people a good paying job

Maybe just not fund programs that cause people to be unemployed or pay low?

Like instead of funding degrees which dont get people a good paying job, they should fund trade schools , and fund infrastructure projects, both which can result in good paying jobs

[Associate Justice PiT]

They aren't. They're promoting it, but some people are just not comfortable with hearing alternative points of view.

If they can't hear different points of view, they don't belong in college. This is what happens when you bring the lowest of the low into prestigious institutions. Unqualified morons. And they aren't studying engineering. Useless majors like Women's and Men's Studies, etc. I don't see what that major can provide in terms of a paycheck.

It's spreading all over the Western world. A Canadian American Trump supporter wore the hat and a SJW called it "unsafe". How foolish. She thinks her little bubble revolves around her and her type. Wonder what job she'll get in the future?

I dont think government should fund those useless majors at all . Those funding should go to degrees or technical programs what actually gets people a good paying job

Maybe just not fund programs that cause people to be unemployed or pay low?

Like instead of funding degrees which dont get people a good paying job, they should fund trade schools , and fund infrastructure projects, both which can result in good paying jobs

     We do need a lot more emphasis placed on vocational education. The old saw that everyone should go to college leaves its fair share of victims in its wake; people who do not know what they're doing and get degrees that don't really lead anywhere in particular.

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

They aren't. They're promoting it, but some people are just not comfortable with hearing alternative points of view.

If they can't hear different points of view, they don't belong in college. This is what happens when you bring the lowest of the low into prestigious institutions. Unqualified morons. And they aren't studying engineering. Useless majors like Women's and Men's Studies, etc. I don't see what that major can provide in terms of a paycheck.

It's spreading all over the Western world. A Canadian American Trump supporter wore the hat and a SJW called it "unsafe". How foolish. She thinks her little bubble revolves around her and her type. Wonder what job she'll get in the future?

How many people with actual "gender studies" majors are there? And you do realize that, outside of just engineering, both private corporations and the government require managers, administrators, social analysts, cultural and regional experts, and so on--positions where the workforce is not reaped from a campus engineering building, right?

Business Majors are very useful

Lol

[OSR stands with Israel]

They aren't. They're promoting it, but some people are just not comfortable with hearing alternative points of view.

If they can't hear different points of view, they don't belong in college. This is what happens when you bring the lowest of the low into prestigious institutions. Unqualified morons. And they aren't studying engineering. Useless majors like Women's and Men's Studies, etc. I don't see what that major can provide in terms of a paycheck.

It's spreading all over the Western world. A Canadian American Trump supporter wore the hat and a SJW called it "unsafe". How foolish. She thinks her little bubble revolves around her and her type. Wonder what job she'll get in the future?

How many people with actual "gender studies" majors are there? And you do realize that, outside of just engineering, both private corporations and the government require managers, administrators, social analysts, cultural and regional experts, and so on--positions where the workforce is not reaped from a campus engineering building, right?

Business Majors are very useful

Lol

People with accounting, finance , marketing, or business admin degrees mostly get high paying jobs.

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

How was it being educated by Thomas Gradgrind?

[OSR stands with Israel]

How was it being educated by Thomas Gradgrind?

What?

[Simfan34]

It is simply disingenuous to act as if the concept of "safe spaces" is still limited to places where people facing active threats or discrimination can seek respite. It's more than that, and we all know that.

[Sprouts Farmers Market ✘]

How was it being educated by Thomas Gradgrind?

What?

Perhaps educated should be in scare quotes!

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

How was it being educated by Thomas Gradgrind?

What?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gradgrind