This bothers me. As well as the "safe places" and other coddling nonsense I see in our institutes of higher learning. I'm fortunate enough to be in a position in my life where I can contribute financially to things I consider worthwhile and of benefit to our society. I'm starting to re-evaluate which universities I'm willing to help fund:
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Being British, I'm not entirely sure what a "safe space" is, but I guess it's a reaction to the "hate space" that seems to cover a lot of the US (religious, racist, misogynist, homophobic etc.). The best corrective to safe spaces would be to make them redundant.
Gareth
Level 7
June 22, 2018
2
So why are you here?
Technically this qualifies as a "safe space" for atheists
Are we all snowflakes for seeking some respite from a Christian biased culture?
I see you list "communtity". OK Nameless uni, 14000 students. Pick the atheist? Want to meet atheists, advertise. Whoops the local Christians-On_Campus have sent round the goon squad (and yes I have genuinely met such a goon squad on another matter. It's organiser now intends to enter federal politics)
So how are you going to find your community? How about the uni, in whatever manner, puts aside a room for a few hours a week in a secluded and monitored spot where you and your mates can meet, talk shit about christians and the world in general and not worry that an accidental joke will get the shit beaten out of you. Oops, safe space.
Or are you talking about trigger warnings, like we have in theatre to make sure Vets with PTSD don't get flashbacks in the middle of the show, or that women who've been raped know they are are going to see something that simulates that so they can prepare themselves. You know, taking care of our people.
Yeah it goes overboard, and fuckwits cheapen it by using it as a political gag (much as was done to the marxist professors). But I'd rather not have to go looking for a student who's run from the class and is in the fetal position sobbing in the toilets because she wasn't prepared for the rape scene in "Streetcar", her own rape being just three months previous. Don't want to do that again thanks. And there's an easy fix, give the staff tenure. It's there to prevent exactly the kind of political pressure the fuckwits can bring to bear.
And in what world are todays neo-liberal, profit driven, MBA focused tertiary institutions even vaguely Marxist?
The professors are considered leftist largely for the same reason school teachers are; they care about their students doing well. Neither group in my now 3 decades of fairly regular professional contact has shown themselves to be particularly radical. Unless you count wanting the tools to do your job well as radical. I suppose in a society where everything has to show a return this financial year the concept of a thirty or a hundred year return is radical.
RobAnybody
Level 7
June 21, 2018
7
Well, quite a passionate post!
I'm going to re-read this a few times.
Many thanks for your input Rob!!
@bigpawbullets Thanks, very passionate, I've been watching veiled and not so veiled attacks on uni's in my own country (technically a socialist democracy) since about 1986 and have seen their costs climb, their quality slide, and anything resembling political debate vanish, well before "no platforming' was a thing.
@Faithless1 Now wouldn't that make Abbotts head explode.>
Thatcher and later Howard both had very solid understandings of Marx, as evidenced by so many of their policies. And there's no denying his influence on European culture.
Kind of makes me sad it didn't happen just because we missed the aneurysm.
Go ahead brother... make it happen.
BucketlistBob
Level 8
June 21, 2018
1
I am Bob. As best as I can.
I graduated college in 1985 with a PoliSci degree, and I don't recall being brainwashed by my liberal professors or taught that Marxism or Communism was great; if anything, they were a breath of fresh air from the small town, southern, racist crap I had been indoctrinated with since age 6...
FallenAngel63
Level 5
June 21, 2018
6
Glad to hear you're college experience was a positive influence on your life! I think things may have changed.
Can this be true? I am not connected to any schools of higher learning at this time, but teaching history cannot always be āto praise.ā But, i do worry that books on history written by people who want to distort the facts...gets into the hands of uninformed people that believe them, as true! That is my worry!
Freedompath
Level 9
June 21, 2018
3
I think you've been misinformed. Though history has its tyrants we can attest but the United States from 2001 to 2011 killed over a million people alone. Twice as many as a side effect from that.
That's a ten year span.
Just because we belong to a side does not excuse us from our actions.
Two countries were invaded by the US neither which had anything to do with the reasons we went in the first place.
The bulk of the 911 terrorist were Saudi.
How do we explain those actions?
It's called tyranny.
MartinG
Level 6
June 21, 2018
7
Can't argue any of that, well, except me being misinformed. 
but, my country, my tribe. I make no excuses for supporting it.
@bigpawbullets fair enough we are what we are. Point is though is that everything is not really as it seems. We've been told for ages that colleges are subversive and yet each year graduates join the daily humdrum.
Education is the only way to true advancement and history must be told in its entirety. To include our own. A spade is a spade regardless of Who's holding it.
@TheMiddleWay You can be sure that it doesn't come from Fox News. Maybe that's why you couldn't find any references? Just asking
You can start by researching total recorded death tolls in Afghanistan then Iraq. You will also need to Include the infighting as a result of us destabilising the countries. This must also include the havoc that ISIS has caused.
This too is a direct result from our actions.
This bothers me as well. Safe spaces aren't guaranteed in a realistic world and if we continue to teach that safe places are actually safe, the world will just become more dangerous.
Stafford
Level 2
June 21, 2018
1
Careful.
You're being dangerously logical.
I'm fresh out of both sociology and conflict resolution classes, and I can tell you at no point was communism praised as an example of what to do. This is propaganda. And all "safe space" means is that professors and counselors promise to listen without judging or condemnation, which is something you SHOULD be able to go to family for, but it doesn't always work that way. I'm much older than most of my classmates, with 20 years in the workforce, so I'm considerably less idealistic than the younger set, but they are not the weak crybabies they get portrayed to be.
Mkonnick
Level 5
June 21, 2018
8
That's good to hear. I've heard other examples from 'Primary sources' that your experience may not be the 100% norm. Might I ask where you're attending school?
@archer5691 YouTube, isnāt a school of higher learning...poor example!
@NotAndrew ...it is like having a pet...it will love you no matter what...but it want challenged you, either! That is where we find our ākinks!ā
@bigpawbullets I attend Virginia Wesleyan University.
I'm confused, why does having a safe space bother you?
LadyAlyxandrea
Level 8
June 21, 2018
7
Good question Alyxandrea. In my humble opinion, a University should by definition be a safe space, physically. No young person should ever have to fear for their physical well being while attending school. But a University should expose all students to 'uncomfortable' philosophies, cultures, and ideas. How else will they learn?
@bigpawbullets that clarification makes much more sense. I was ready to be offended and caps lock my anger, but I wanted to make sure what you meant first. Yes there needs to be mental challenges and taking beliefs outside their comfort zone and challenge and question everything. Not 'everyone gets an AK47!'
But I believe there should be a 'safe space' in terms of like a cool down room or something for people with mental or emotional problems to go if they feel overwhelmed or overstimulated. Colleges and universities should adapt for people with anxiety and spectrum disorders. A mental safe space to help people like my autistic brother succeed in the ultimately stressful environment of secondary education. I would love to go to college, but my anxiety kept me from it, because I struggle with those environments. My brother got a full ride scholarship and is excited to go, but I fear the colleges ability to adapt for a student of his psychosis. He should be able to succeed in life, despite his issues. College should help him learn how to succeed
@bigpawbullets expose all students to uncomfortable ideologies like those of Stalin, Marx, and Mao? How does that fit with the meme you used to start this debate?
@LadyAlyxandrea
Alyxandrea!!!!!! Please! No caps-lock anger!!!
I graduated from college in 1972. So, I've no idea what today's schools might offer as support for someone in the autistic spectrum. Hopefully, there are allowances made.
I'd encourage you to sign up for maybe one course at a college near you. Give it a shot!!!
@Willber
Goodness! A REAL NAME!!!!!
I would hope any undergraduate curriculum would expose students to all past forms of government. Just not advocate ANY of them.
Well have you looked into how many people the US has killed and is killing around the world? That is another ideology the one of greed.
Jolanta
Level 9
June 21, 2018
4
Of course! Heck! I participated in the 'pacification' of Vietnam.
@bigpawbullets Yes, but since then????
@Jolanta
It never changes. Nation Building and forcing our culture on others seems to be a sickness. But most, if not all civilizations have done this.
@bigpawbullets Then you'll be well aware that US imperialism has also killed millions of people, so don't fund that either.
@Gareth !
Thanks for your input. But I'll continue to pay my taxes as a responsible citizen. I hope you do the same.
@bigpawbullets I presume you pay your taxes as a legal requirement. I thought you were posting about your disposable income.
@Gareth
Your correct Gareth. I give money to those institutions and organizations that I feel benefit our society. I don't contribute to radical groups on either end of the spectrum. BTW, I apologize for the paying taxes comment. I didn't realize you're a Brit.
@bigpawbullets That's okay. We pay taxes too.
@Gareth
I've heard your tax rate is actually higher than ours.
@bigpawbullets Two wrong do not make a right.
@bigpawbullets It probably is higher - although we don't have local (state?) taxes on goods. It always threw me in the US that the price on the ticket in a shop was less than what you paid. I always felt I was being ripped off. In the end, you get what you pay for - we have excellent and free healthcare for instance.
@Beach_slim The absence of gulags.
Why aren't there several USA president's photos shown alongside these 3. Appears to be just more propaganda. IMHO
jlynn37
Level 8
June 21, 2018
5
Well, jlynn (how do you pronounce that?),
I'd guess because we're the good guys.
@bigpawbullets I think you got it.
Lynn is my middle name that I have always gone by (J is for James). Just a user name that I use for everything on the internet.
@bigpawbullets We are most assuredly, NOT, the good guys.
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