Has Yale Become a PC Joke?

[Anonymous]

There's a strong generational aspect to this discussion, with a lot of older liberals who value free speech aghast at the degree to which younger students insist on authority figures provide them with trigger warnings and protect them against anything that might make them feel "unsafe."

I don't think I can look at Yale students now without imagining that they go through life wearing giant, invisible helmets designed to protect their oh-so-vulnerable sensitivities. The only benefit I see is that the dining halls may save some money when they realize all they need to stock is cereal and little Gerber baby food jars.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:TBH I haven't been following the events at Yale beyond the headlines, but what I see is an emotional ~20yo on a campus trying to speak to an admin, who keeps interrupting her until she becomes loud. Why can't he listen to her at first? I agree that pulling off the backpack was becoming aggressive, but he handled it well at that point by not further escalating the situation.

I hope as she grows older and matures, she is embarrassed (aren't we all of many things), but c'mon she's young and passionate and seeing racism on her campus. And, up to that point she felt like she wasn't being heard.

I'm white but I remember one year, when I was in my30s, my brother refused to speak to me. That feeling of not having an opportunity to speak, of being shut out, was enraging. People want to feel heard, and in college, kids are suppose to find their voice.

1. Based on that video, she is not being heard probably because she has little to say of value.

2. She might try listening more and actually talking to people. And if she acted more civilly, rather than resenting the world because of some perceived racial slight and playing the victim (when she has advantages that a lot of young people would love to have), people just might treat her better.

Harsh. Are you sure this is the message you want to send out to our kids, many of whom will someday be in leadership roles or other positions of power?

Its horrifying if these kids are the ones that will be our leaders or other positions of power some day. The other world powers will eat us for breakfast.

Oh please. It's horrifying that a couple of presidential candidates are so self-absorbed, behave absurdly when challenged or doesn't get their way, and stoops to the level of a schoolyard bully. And just what message do you think they send to the young leaders of tomorrow? The other powers of the world will eat us for breakfast (to use your words).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:TBH I haven't been following the events at Yale beyond the headlines, but what I see is an emotional ~20yo on a campus trying to speak to an admin, who keeps interrupting her until she becomes loud. Why can't he listen to her at first? I agree that pulling off the backpack was becoming aggressive, but he handled it well at that point by not further escalating the situation.

I hope as she grows older and matures, she is embarrassed (aren't we all of many things), but c'mon she's young and passionate and seeing racism on her campus. And, up to that point she felt like she wasn't being heard.

I'm white but I remember one year, when I was in my30s, my brother refused to speak to me. That feeling of not having an opportunity to speak, of being shut out, was enraging. People want to feel heard, and in college, kids are suppose to find their voice.

1. Based on that video, she is not being heard probably because she has little to say of value.

2. She might try listening more and actually talking to people. And if she acted more civilly, rather than resenting the world because of some perceived racial slight and playing the victim (when she has advantages that a lot of young people would love to have), people just might treat her better.

Harsh. Are you sure this is the message you want to send out to our kids, many of whom will someday be in leadership roles or other positions of power?

Its horrifying if these kids are the ones that will be our leaders or other positions of power some day. The other world powers will eat us for breakfast.

These kids won't be leaders or in other positions of power. But unfortunately some of them may have shows for a time on MSNBC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There's a strong generational aspect to this discussion, with a lot of older liberals who value free speech aghast at the degree to which younger students insist on authority figures provide them with trigger warnings and protect them against anything that might make them feel "unsafe."

I don't think I can look at Yale students now without imagining that they go through life wearing giant, invisible helmets designed to protect their oh-so-vulnerable sensitivities. The only benefit I see is that the dining halls may save some money when they realize all they need to stock is cereal and little Gerber baby food jars.

Well, now I imagine Yale students are all wearing giant, invisible DIAPERS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:TBH I haven't been following the events at Yale beyond the headlines, but what I see is an emotional ~20yo on a campus trying to speak to an admin, who keeps interrupting her until she becomes loud. Why can't he listen to her at first? I agree that pulling off the backpack was becoming aggressive, but he handled it well at that point by not further escalating the situation.

I hope as she grows older and matures, she is embarrassed (aren't we all of many things), but c'mon she's young and passionate and seeing racism on her campus. And, up to that point she felt like she wasn't being heard.

I'm white but I remember one year, when I was in my30s, my brother refused to speak to me. That feeling of not having an opportunity to speak, of being shut out, was enraging. People want to feel heard, and in college, kids are suppose to find their voice.

1. Based on that video, she is not being heard probably because she has little to say of value.

2. She might try listening more and actually talking to people. And if she acted more civilly, rather than resenting the world because of some perceived racial slight and playing the victim (when she has advantages that a lot of young people would love to have), people just might treat her better.

Harsh. Are you sure this is the message you want to send out to our kids, many of whom will someday be in leadership roles or other positions of power?

Someone needs to tell her, harsh at is may be to her ego. But of course, any criticism may make her feel "unsafe."

[Anonymous]

News reports about nonsense like this will end up electing Donald Trump as president.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:News reports about nonsense like this will end up electing Donald Trump as president.

Sad as this is, I believe you may be right.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:News reports about nonsense like this will end up electing Donald Trump as president.

Sad as this is, I believe you may be right.

This might actually be true. We are reaching a tipping point where people are fed up with this nonsense.

[Anonymous]

What's going on at Yale reminds me of the Cultural Revolution in China. God forbid these little totalitarians' ideology spill out of the campuses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What's going on at Yale reminds me of the Cultural Revolution in China. God forbid these little totalitarians' ideology spill out of the campuses.

A quite accurate analogy, except thank God Obama is not Mao.

[Anonymous]

The impulse to run to authority to tattle and demand punishment over every slight, real or imagined, rather than dealing with it yourself seems excessively childish for someone who is in college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The impulse to run to authority to tattle and demand punishment over every slight, real or imagined, rather than dealing with it yourself seems excessively childish for someone who is in college.

It's a good qualification for a government supervisor, though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:News reports about nonsense like this will end up electing Donald Trump as president.

Sad as this is, I believe you may be right.

This might actually be true. We are reaching a tipping point where people are fed up with this nonsense.

Nope. The Dems have the electoral college locked down tighter than a soccer mom on the steering wheel of her minivan.

[Anonymous]

Here's the transcript of the video. Really impressed at how the professor handled the angry students.

Professor(Prof): I have said I am sorry for causing you pain.
Girl 1: That's different.
Prof: It is different. That is different in fact. That's different from the statement that I am sorry for what I've said. There's a big difference between the two, guys.
Girl 1: Do you fundamentally stand behind what you said? (The last part was somewhat incoherent)
Prof: I stand behind free speech, yes I do.
Girl 1: Then that apology doesn't mean anything.
Boy 1: Even when it's offensive?
Prof: Even when it's offensive. Especially when it's offensive.
Boy 1: Even when it denigrates me?
Prof: Even when it denigrates you even though I don't agree with the content of the speech. I have the same objection to the speech that you do. The same ones. But I defend the right of people to speak their mind. So who gets to decide what's offensive? Who gets to decide guys?
Girl 1: When it hurts me.
Prof: What if everyone says I am hurt? Does that mean everyone else has to stop speaking?
Boy 2: But that's not what was happening.
Prof: So I agree with the content of your speech. I am as against racism as you are. I am as against social inequality as you are. I have spent my life addressing these issues. Even some of the students in my class...(unintelligible)
Prof: But that is DIFFERENT than the freedom of speech. The right to defend people to say whatever they want, including you. Including your right to write what you want and speak to me which I will also defend. One more thing, when I was at other institutions, I have defended people with your views against tremendous opposition. People with your views that the administration tried to ferret out and expel. I will defend you to say whatever you want, anywhere you want. Do you understand? Except, to disrupt a classroom where someone is trying to teach students which is a Yale policy by the way.
Boy 1: So we're coming up with exceptions now?
Prof: The one exception is that other people have rights too, not just you...not just you.[u]

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here's the transcript of the video. Really impressed at how the professor handled the angry students.

Professor(Prof): I have said I am sorry for causing you pain.
Girl 1: That's different.
Prof: It is different. That is different in fact. That's different from the statement that I am sorry for what I've said. There's a big difference between the two, guys.
Girl 1: Do you fundamentally stand behind what you said? (The last part was somewhat incoherent)
Prof: I stand behind free speech, yes I do.
Girl 1: Then that apology doesn't mean anything.
Boy 1: Even when it's offensive?
Prof: Even when it's offensive. Especially when it's offensive.
Boy 1: Even when it denigrates me?
Prof: Even when it denigrates you even though I don't agree with the content of the speech. I have the same objection to the speech that you do. The same ones. But I defend the right of people to speak their mind. So who gets to decide what's offensive? Who gets to decide guys?
Girl 1: When it hurts me.
Prof: What if everyone says I am hurt? Does that mean everyone else has to stop speaking?
Boy 2: But that's not what was happening.
Prof: So I agree with the content of your speech. I am as against racism as you are. I am as against social inequality as you are. I have spent my life addressing these issues. Even some of the students in my class...(unintelligible)
Prof: But that is DIFFERENT than the freedom of speech. The right to defend people to say whatever they want, including you. Including your right to write what you want and speak to me which I will also defend. One more thing, when I was at other institutions, I have defended people with your views against tremendous opposition. People with your views that the administration tried to ferret out and expel. I will defend you to say whatever you want, anywhere you want. Do you understand? Except, to disrupt a classroom where someone is trying to teach students which is a Yale policy by the way.
Boy 1: So we're coming up with exceptions now?
Prof: The one exception is that other people have rights too, not just you...not just you.[u]

What a difference a working brain makes.