Speaking Our Minds

For decades I have heard parents of college age children complain about the dangers of the university environment.  Largely, they are right about the ideological leaning of campuses around the country and the danger that the campus culture poses to unprepared students.

Just when I thought that the craziness could not become crazier, the idea of "safe spaces" and "trigger warnings" burst onto the scene.  A safe space?  When I was growing up, a safe space theoretically protected one from nuclear holocaust, but, to these weak-minded wimps, it protects them from getting their feelings hurt.  Good Lord in heaven above, we have raised a country full of spoiled-brat whiners.

Heaven help us.

But, into the darkness comes John (Jay) Ellison, Ph.D., Dean of Students at the University of Chicago.

John Ellison, Ph.D.

He had the audacity to send incoming freshman a welcoming letter in which he informs them that they will not have safe spaces, trigger warnings, or intellectual coddling at the U of C.  They will come to the U and be expected to actually think, even if it (horror) makes them uncomfortable. 

‘Our commitment to academic freedom means that we do not support so-called "trigger warnings," we do not cancel invited speakers because their topics might prove controversial, and we do not condone the creation of intellectual "safe spaces" where individuals can retreat from ideas and perspectives at odds with their own.'

Dean of Students John ‘Jay’ Ellison, University of Chicago

So, apparently, the idea is that everyone has to think for themselves and actually listen to each others' point of view.  This is real ground-breaking stuff.  Very radical.

Predictably, there is outrage on the left.  Why?  Because it's easier to win if the other side has no voice.  If someone doesn't show up for a debate he loses by default.  If you bar him entrance to the lecture hall, you get the same result: you win.

And, this is what it's all about.  Winning the cultural debate.  The left has been putting pressure at the university level for decades and now has so much power on campus that they are able to really press hard on their totalitarian dream.

The University of Chicago Quad

But there is Jay Ellison standing in the gap, like the little Dutch boy with his finger in the dike.  Will the townspeople come to rescue themselves from the deluge about to come?  Or will we take another pass and let the likes of Dr. Ellison fight our battle on his own?

Would that we would stop and think for ourselves for just a moment and not be the passive lemmings that we are being trained to be.  I do hope, for all our sakes, that we can understand that we do have power.  We do have the ability to think.  We can see the bigger picture if we can just lift our eyes for a moment.

The university isn't dangerous to our children because it's a university; it's dangerous because of who we allow to inhabit the halls of power in those universities.  It's also dangerous because we don't take the time as parents to educate our children about the things that actually matter.

It's a sad commentary on the state of our union when listening to each other is a radical concept.

TheCurmudgeon