In Ukraine, we do not have "safe spaces". In times of war, there is NO safety. To pamper already weak American children is to set them up for failure in an entire nation that is already a safe space.
christia - 6 years ago
Safe spaces don’t pamper students, they build up their confidence. I don’t think safe spaces are a bad idea or interrupt the learning process. I think it’s just an exceptional support group. Kinda like, in the Fault in our Stars by John Green, where Hazel goes to a support group because she is diagnosed with depression and has cancer and because of it her whole life turns around. In college, you have to be more responsible and independent, so you only have yourself when you going through something tough. I presume that safe spaces are just a fraternity or sorority house and just as harmless. But one is more accepted then the other.
kerry - 6 years ago
about the minority thing at comment above me with the help of safe spaces minorities they can be comfortable on a college campus. Because on college campuses there tends to be a lot of intolerance. Where people are smarter, richer, more selfish, and stubborn. There are many incidents where racial hate crimes took place on college campuses. And that can convince minorities to not go to college so they don’t have to deal with that. It can also make them decide not to participate or skip class. With safe spaces, they can have a community they can count on and relate too.
ameila - 6 years ago
In the U.S. for every suicide, 25 people attempt to kill themselves. Suicide is a growing problem in the U.S. with the number increasing by about 24% since 1999. I feel that with safe spaces that number can decrease. And that would be helpful for the economy since the U.S. spends $69 billion every year dealing with suicide issues . It also would be helpful because mental illness is a serious problem. We just can’t let all these people suffer especially at a life threatening point. A lot of people develop mental illness by having a problem they feel has no escape. And others blame their illness on their ability to get their life together. But nothing should be above human safety and with safe spaces there would be no one with that stigma who can understand them and they can finally be offered something that can save their life.
ana - 6 years ago
Have you ever been judged? Have you ever been stuck in situation you couldn’t get out of? Did you know that a safe space can help. What is a safe space? The definition of a safe space is an area, environment, or forum where the participants are not supposed to face stereotypes, bullying, harassment, or criticism. My definition of a safe space is a place where someone who is isolated can feel counted for again. I am convinced universities should have safe spaces because it’ll reduce mental illness, help to control racism and/or homophobia that happens a lot on college campuses and simply, it's just a support group.
kerry - 6 years ago
People with cancer got to support groups like in the fault in our stars what makes a safe space so different. In fact I would a frat house is like a safe space too. for all the people saying its unnecessary i hope you get severe depression and someone tell you to just figure out
This is cancer, I am a Jew, and I do not approve, therefore, this needs to be taken down immediately. Cancer. Cancer. Cancer.
Dmitry - 7 years ago
Yeah, Christine. The things written in the comments section here show a fundamental misunderstanding of the purpose of trigger warnings and safe spaces - and of course the decisions of Nürnberg trials show a fundamental misunderstanding of the purpose of concentration camps and the final solution of the Jewish question.
Really? Do you believe that there can be bad censorship and good censorship? Do you believe that freedom of speech is less important than hurt feelings of a feminist who doesn't want any discussions?
Victor - 8 years ago
you guys just don't realize how many people in this country suffers from trauma, depression, anxiety etc..
And yet some of you dare to blame it on their "ability to get their shit together".
Most comments read above continue to reinforce stereotypes and stigma to mental health, just stop it now!!
academic freedom does and cannot be above the human need for safety, anything preventing that will discriminate against our own brothers and sisters.
Hal from East Boston - 8 years ago
If you're not up to college or university life, which means intellectual growth and exposure to a wider universe than your childhood environment, then you should stay away until you get your shit together. If you imagine yourself to be in need of special handling because of emotional problems, then you' re not college material, kid. I'm not without sympathy for your difficulties, but it's not the job of a college or university to make special accommodations for your delicate condition. Course work, study, intellectual exertion, exploration of ideas and culture, exposure to the wider world past and present, the good and the bad of it... if you can't handle these things, you should stay away until you can. Your asking for special treatment because you have post-partum depression and/or other difficulties, comes across as whining and self-pity, and the cure for these things is outside the bounds of a college's responsibilities.
Christine - 8 years ago
Didn't any of you actually read the article? The things written in the comments section here show a fundamental misunderstanding of the purpose of trigger warnings and safe spaces, and also that you all completely missed the point of the article.
Safe spaces are just like support groups, and just as harmless-- a place for people to come together. Safety in numbers. We aren't talking about feeling intellectually challenged or people who are afraid of opinions that aren't their own, we are talking about feeling SAFE, which is a completely different matter.
Trigger warnings aren't for overly sensitive people who just want a place to hide from anything that makes them uncomfortable. They are to protect people who have experienced trauma or have a serious mental disorder from things that could make their condition worse. The example used in this article was someone fighting depression, whose depression was "triggered" by a particular subject. Putting a trigger warning in front of something with sensitive material is just like giving an R rating to a movie or putting a warning on the back of a package of food that says "may contain peanuts." Sure, nobody is morally obligated to put that warning there, and you could easily say that it is someone's own job to make sure their food is completely free from all traces of peanuts, but you are going to save someone a lot of trouble, and possibly their life, by printing a single phrase on the back of a package of food. That's all trigger warning are about.
And the people who are "trigger-happy" are going to be the extremists and the overly sensitive people. Saying that everyone that requests trigger warnings is overly sensitive is a huge generalization and stereotype.
Gojira - 8 years ago
Trigger warnings and Safe spaces are a retardation of human advancement.
Christina - 8 years ago
I agree with the above commenters here. Safe spaces are completely ridiculous. You cant just cater to a bunch of "trigger" happy wingnuts who think they don't need to grow up already you need to give them a good boot to the arse and tell them to get over themselves. The whole world is not some "safe space"
Marcus Aurelius - 8 years ago
Keep in mind how fast things pass by and are gone–those that are now and those to come. Existence flows past us like a river: the ‘what’ is in constant flux, the ‘why’ has a thousand variations. Nothing is stable, not even what’s right here. The infinity of past and future gapes before us–a chasm whose depths we cannot see.
Jonathan - 8 years ago
The world is not a safe place and we have no control over it nor other people's actions. Get over it. While it is unfortunate that people have mental health problems that may need to be accommodated, they are responsible for dealing with their own reactions and acting as necessary and appropriate. Others that do not want to be offended need to learn that they will be, and should be, offend many times during their lives and need to learn coping skills. The over protection that they had growing up is society's biggest pitfall. I can't claim to need a trigger warning when I look at the tax table and find a safe space to avoid paying my taxes.
Let's let our kids grow up and learn how to handle difficult situations, not shelter them for them.
Elinor - 8 years ago
How are students to learn to have meaningful academic discourse and debate if they may retreat into a 'safe space' when they meet any sort of opppsition? The idea of safe spaces, while sweet in their intention, is so ridiculous in application. The world itself is not a designated safe space; how much are we under preparing our students to live and work by allowing and encouraging this concept? I'm sorry, the only 'safe space' should be the home. Or maybe a counselor's office. And have your 'trigger warnings' ready, because even there you may hear an opinion or be given advice you don't want.
Vince - 8 years ago
Intellectual discourse is actually meant to be one of the few realms that consistently challenges common thinking and belief. To designate any part of intellectual discourse as a "safe space" basically destroys its intended purpose. The only "safe space" on a college campus should be with a counselor or mental health professional. Otherwise the entire population is intellectually and creatively limited by the problems of a few. Let's not lose sight of the true purpose of higher education because of what is seen to be politically correct.
chris - 8 years ago
What people fail to realize, including the author of this piece, is that "safe spaces" are a lie.
There is no such thing.
No matter where you are, you are subject you many multiple things that are outside of your control that also have the ability to severely alter your life from that point forward.
In Ukraine, we do not have "safe spaces". In times of war, there is NO safety. To pamper already weak American children is to set them up for failure in an entire nation that is already a safe space.
Safe spaces don’t pamper students, they build up their confidence. I don’t think safe spaces are a bad idea or interrupt the learning process. I think it’s just an exceptional support group. Kinda like, in the Fault in our Stars by John Green, where Hazel goes to a support group because she is diagnosed with depression and has cancer and because of it her whole life turns around. In college, you have to be more responsible and independent, so you only have yourself when you going through something tough. I presume that safe spaces are just a fraternity or sorority house and just as harmless. But one is more accepted then the other.
about the minority thing at comment above me with the help of safe spaces minorities they can be comfortable on a college campus. Because on college campuses there tends to be a lot of intolerance. Where people are smarter, richer, more selfish, and stubborn. There are many incidents where racial hate crimes took place on college campuses. And that can convince minorities to not go to college so they don’t have to deal with that. It can also make them decide not to participate or skip class. With safe spaces, they can have a community they can count on and relate too.
In the U.S. for every suicide, 25 people attempt to kill themselves. Suicide is a growing problem in the U.S. with the number increasing by about 24% since 1999. I feel that with safe spaces that number can decrease. And that would be helpful for the economy since the U.S. spends $69 billion every year dealing with suicide issues . It also would be helpful because mental illness is a serious problem. We just can’t let all these people suffer especially at a life threatening point. A lot of people develop mental illness by having a problem they feel has no escape. And others blame their illness on their ability to get their life together. But nothing should be above human safety and with safe spaces there would be no one with that stigma who can understand them and they can finally be offered something that can save their life.
Have you ever been judged? Have you ever been stuck in situation you couldn’t get out of? Did you know that a safe space can help. What is a safe space? The definition of a safe space is an area, environment, or forum where the participants are not supposed to face stereotypes, bullying, harassment, or criticism. My definition of a safe space is a place where someone who is isolated can feel counted for again. I am convinced universities should have safe spaces because it’ll reduce mental illness, help to control racism and/or homophobia that happens a lot on college campuses and simply, it's just a support group.
People with cancer got to support groups like in the fault in our stars what makes a safe space so different. In fact I would a frat house is like a safe space too. for all the people saying its unnecessary i hope you get severe depression and someone tell you to just figure out
This is cancer, I am a Jew, and I do not approve, therefore, this needs to be taken down immediately. Cancer. Cancer. Cancer.
Yeah, Christine. The things written in the comments section here show a fundamental misunderstanding of the purpose of trigger warnings and safe spaces - and of course the decisions of Nürnberg trials show a fundamental misunderstanding of the purpose of concentration camps and the final solution of the Jewish question.
Really? Do you believe that there can be bad censorship and good censorship? Do you believe that freedom of speech is less important than hurt feelings of a feminist who doesn't want any discussions?
you guys just don't realize how many people in this country suffers from trauma, depression, anxiety etc..
And yet some of you dare to blame it on their "ability to get their shit together".
Most comments read above continue to reinforce stereotypes and stigma to mental health, just stop it now!!
academic freedom does and cannot be above the human need for safety, anything preventing that will discriminate against our own brothers and sisters.
If you're not up to college or university life, which means intellectual growth and exposure to a wider universe than your childhood environment, then you should stay away until you get your shit together. If you imagine yourself to be in need of special handling because of emotional problems, then you' re not college material, kid. I'm not without sympathy for your difficulties, but it's not the job of a college or university to make special accommodations for your delicate condition. Course work, study, intellectual exertion, exploration of ideas and culture, exposure to the wider world past and present, the good and the bad of it... if you can't handle these things, you should stay away until you can. Your asking for special treatment because you have post-partum depression and/or other difficulties, comes across as whining and self-pity, and the cure for these things is outside the bounds of a college's responsibilities.
Didn't any of you actually read the article? The things written in the comments section here show a fundamental misunderstanding of the purpose of trigger warnings and safe spaces, and also that you all completely missed the point of the article.
Safe spaces are just like support groups, and just as harmless-- a place for people to come together. Safety in numbers. We aren't talking about feeling intellectually challenged or people who are afraid of opinions that aren't their own, we are talking about feeling SAFE, which is a completely different matter.
Trigger warnings aren't for overly sensitive people who just want a place to hide from anything that makes them uncomfortable. They are to protect people who have experienced trauma or have a serious mental disorder from things that could make their condition worse. The example used in this article was someone fighting depression, whose depression was "triggered" by a particular subject. Putting a trigger warning in front of something with sensitive material is just like giving an R rating to a movie or putting a warning on the back of a package of food that says "may contain peanuts." Sure, nobody is morally obligated to put that warning there, and you could easily say that it is someone's own job to make sure their food is completely free from all traces of peanuts, but you are going to save someone a lot of trouble, and possibly their life, by printing a single phrase on the back of a package of food. That's all trigger warning are about.
And the people who are "trigger-happy" are going to be the extremists and the overly sensitive people. Saying that everyone that requests trigger warnings is overly sensitive is a huge generalization and stereotype.
Trigger warnings and Safe spaces are a retardation of human advancement.
I agree with the above commenters here. Safe spaces are completely ridiculous. You cant just cater to a bunch of "trigger" happy wingnuts who think they don't need to grow up already you need to give them a good boot to the arse and tell them to get over themselves. The whole world is not some "safe space"
Keep in mind how fast things pass by and are gone–those that are now and those to come. Existence flows past us like a river: the ‘what’ is in constant flux, the ‘why’ has a thousand variations. Nothing is stable, not even what’s right here. The infinity of past and future gapes before us–a chasm whose depths we cannot see.
The world is not a safe place and we have no control over it nor other people's actions. Get over it. While it is unfortunate that people have mental health problems that may need to be accommodated, they are responsible for dealing with their own reactions and acting as necessary and appropriate. Others that do not want to be offended need to learn that they will be, and should be, offend many times during their lives and need to learn coping skills. The over protection that they had growing up is society's biggest pitfall. I can't claim to need a trigger warning when I look at the tax table and find a safe space to avoid paying my taxes.
Let's let our kids grow up and learn how to handle difficult situations, not shelter them for them.
How are students to learn to have meaningful academic discourse and debate if they may retreat into a 'safe space' when they meet any sort of opppsition? The idea of safe spaces, while sweet in their intention, is so ridiculous in application. The world itself is not a designated safe space; how much are we under preparing our students to live and work by allowing and encouraging this concept? I'm sorry, the only 'safe space' should be the home. Or maybe a counselor's office. And have your 'trigger warnings' ready, because even there you may hear an opinion or be given advice you don't want.
Intellectual discourse is actually meant to be one of the few realms that consistently challenges common thinking and belief. To designate any part of intellectual discourse as a "safe space" basically destroys its intended purpose. The only "safe space" on a college campus should be with a counselor or mental health professional. Otherwise the entire population is intellectually and creatively limited by the problems of a few. Let's not lose sight of the true purpose of higher education because of what is seen to be politically correct.
What people fail to realize, including the author of this piece, is that "safe spaces" are a lie.
There is no such thing.
No matter where you are, you are subject you many multiple things that are outside of your control that also have the ability to severely alter your life from that point forward.