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Trigger Warnings, Safe Spaces, and Argumentation, Too College is full of new experiences, new people, and new communities, and many universities encourage the exchange of new ideas and diversity among students. This year, the University of Chicago sent out a letter to all of its incoming freshmen informing them that in keeping with their beliefs of freedom of expression and healthy discussion and debate, the school would not provide “safe spaces” or “trigger warnings”. Senior Sophie Downes found this letter to be misleading in many ways, including in the definitions of safe spaces and trigger warnings, as well as the issues it was addressing. Downes claims that the letter was misrepresenting the school, but also was using the letter as a sort …show more content…
She chooses her words wisely, as any good writer should. The overall tone of her piece is slightly negative, especially when describing the administration. She uses accusatory terms throughout, most especially in her second paragraph, describing how the letter portrayed safe spaces and trigger warnings as “narrow-minded, oversensitive, and opposed to dialogue” (Downes 1). Her paper is fraught with negative words, especially when referring to those who do not understand or might oppose trigger warnings or safe spaces because they believe they are “coddling” the younger generations. On the other hand, she uses more gentle, positive language when defining what trigger warnings and safe spaces are and how helpful they can be for many people—or at least less negative in comparison to her language in other paragraphs. The logos aspect appears to be the weakest up until her last few paragraphs. Her descriptions and explanation of trigger warnings and safe spaces provide some logos in the beginning, but towards the end is when she begins citing articles on issues that she is discussing. The sources she uses seem to be reliable—The Chicago Maroon, The New York Times, even the University of Chicago’s …show more content…
The ethos plays into her pathos as well: she has witnessed trigger warnings being used in her classes and in syllabi. She is involved in many safe space groups, and has seen teachers and administrators offer and spearhead many safe spaces on campus—even Dean Ellison, the author of the letter in question, is listed as a “safe space ally” on the website of the LGBTQ+ organization on campus
In Kate Manne’s article “Why I Use Trigger Warnings”, she argues that trigger warnings are an important feature to incorporate in an educator’s curriculum, but not as a safety cushion for millennials to fall on to avoid work and serious or uncomfortable topics. Using PTSD studies along with failed tests of exposure therapy for the foundation of her points, she explains that trigger warnings can help mentally prepare a student for what they are about to read instead of blindsiding them and throwing them into a potentially anxiety-induced state where they can’t focus. Manne also brings up how people can react when reading political or religious material in comparison towards reading possibly triggering material in order to differentiate between
Some people love controversy; some despise it. Regardless of how one views a controversial topic, odds are he is fascinated by it and has his own thoughts on the matter. Journalist Leonard Pitts, Jr., who authors editorial articles for the Miami Herald, writes extremely opinionated pieces on current controversial topics targeting those who are not minorities. He writes with the goal of bringing to light issues that people would rather not discuss. Pitts’ style can be seen through pieces such as “Don’t Lower the Bar on Education Standards;” “Torture Might Work, but That’s Not the Issue;” and “If the Gunman is White, We’re OK With Mass Murder.
Throughout America, people place a high value in their freedom of speech. This right is protected by the first Amendment and practiced in communities throughout the country. However, a movement has recently gained momentum on college campuses calling for protection from words and ideas that may cause emotional discomfort. This movement is driven mainly by students who demand that speech be strictly monitored and punishments inflicted on individuals who cause even accidental offense. Greg Lukianoff and Johnathan Haidt discuss how this new trend affects the students mentally and socially in their article The Coddling of the American Mind published in The Atlantic Monthly. Lukianoff and Haidt mostly use logical reasoning and references to
2) She seems like she is telling everyone they way they should think: I don't get why she is so hung up on telling people who they should call what, and what they should do about it. Half of her book is about letting people feel free to be who they are, being proud of ones back round, and having a mind of your own and thinking for yourself.
She then immediately follows up with a way to fix it and demand respect. Shes trying to connect with the audience and shows that she has been in the same place, that she can relate. You can see that she has done her research, she uses plenty of statistics to give you a visual of what she is talking about as well as quoting people from organizations and giving them the appropriate credit. She mentions in 2005 at yale, her alma mater, 15 students sat in the admissions office until they were removed by police. These individuals were demanding changes to the financial aid policy. What those student did actually changed the policy and made it easier for families to afford college without heavy loans. This showed others that activists can make a difference, something she presses on in this
They should start discussions about rape and sexist cases because it’s going on in today’s society and for people to know it’s okay to talk about it if it ever happened to them. Colleges need to prepare students for the real word so they need to have real life discussions in class for the students that are growing up and entering the workforce. College campuses are going through the mircoagression theory and professors fear to talk about trigger warnings in class when both students and professors should have freedom of speech in classrooms. “One of my biggest concerns about trigger warnings,” Roff wrote, “is that they will apply not just to those who have experienced trauma, but to all students, creating an atmosphere in which they are encouraged to believe that there is something dangerous or damaging about discussing difficult aspects of our history.” (49). Professors try to avoid teaching material that will upset sensitive students, but instead they should start warning students about the materials they are going to teach and set boundaries so students can know what they are about to learn to prevent teachers from getting in trouble or risk getting fired from their
Charles R. Lawrence intended audience in his article “On Racist Speech” is college students and universities. His sense of tone is forthcoming. Lawerence word choice sets the tone by using the words conspicuous,dissenter, and bigot. The article gives examples of how universities do not protect minority college students. Lawrence states that universities should protect their students He also gives an example of how universities have tried to have rules to ban racist speech yet they have proven ineffective in stopping racial slurs. The regulations have not stopped the verbal brutality yet it has stopped the occurrences of physical fights. He mentions how students do not have any need to be hurt verbally.
Hanes does not incorporate her personal feelings on the matter anywhere throughout the post which is slightly disappointing. Hanes could have easily added in a section where she expresses her outrage or how she firmly disagrees with everything that was said. Being a parent could have really worked in her favor to exhibit more passion into her piece, but she did not take advantage of that.
The logos used in the article can be used to strengthen the ethos utilized.Nielson and Kubrin throughout the entire article use logos. The use of logos helps to maintains the credibility of Nielson and Kubrin in the article with the use of statistics and direct quotations in the court case. They mentioned a statistical study which stated that people who read the hypothetical biography of an 18 year old male as well as the explicit rap lyrics that were supposedly written by him. The study indicated how those who had read the lyrics were “more likely to believe the man was capable of committing murder than those who did not”(Nielson, Kubrin, 2014). The use of specific statistics like these support the credibility of the writer as well as of the article.Kubrin and Nielson utilized logos when they stated “Last year, the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey found that in 18 cases in which various courts considered the admissibility of rap as evidence, the lyrics were allowed nearly 80 percent of the time.”(Nielson, Kubrin 2014) This quote shows logos because they are using number to logically appeal to the readers and show how the rap lyrics are being used in the court cases and use the number to support the claim that rap lyric use in the country cases are arising drastically through the years. Neilson and Kubrin also use logos when they state
"Protecting Freedom of Expression on the Campus” by Derek Bok, published in Boston Globe in 1991, is an essay about what we should do when we are faced with expressions that are offensive to some people. The author discusses that although the First Amendment may protect our speech, but that does not mean it protects our speech if we use it immorally and inappropriately. The author claims that when people do things such as hanging the Confederate flag, “they would upset many fellow students and ignore the decent regard for the feelings of others” (70). The author discusses how this issue has approached Supreme Court and how the Supreme Court backs up the First Amendment and if it offends any groups, it does not affect the fact that everyone has his or her own freedom of speech. The author discusses how censorship may not be the way to go, because it might bring unwanted attention that would only make more devastating situations. The author believes the best solutions to these kind of situations would be to
At this point in a college freshmen’s life, they have been in school for 14 years. Throughout those 14 years, freshmen have learned the Bill of Rights like they’ve learned how to walk and the first amendment the way they’ve learned to talk. The first amendment has been engrained in a child from the first history class in 5th grade, to the fifth history class in 9th grade and the eighth class in their senior year. In those eight years, a student has the first amendment in their head to bring to college and express themselves how they see fit and how they have been socialized to do so. According to Dinesh D’Souza, Stuart Taylor and Tim Robbins freedom of speech has been inhibited and taken out by politics and political correctness and fueled heavily by the societies need for preferential treatment.
The First Amendment, usually equated with freedom of speech, affords five protections: Establishment Clause, Free exercise of religion, Freedom of speech, Freedom of press, and Freedom to peaceable assemble. Students (and student groups) in public colleges and universities enjoy full protection under the First Amendment; however, this right depends greatly on the context in which a student might raise a free speech claim. Once an institution creates a limited public forum for a student or group, administration cannot deny recognition to particular student or groups based on viewpoints. Given the great freedom students are afforded, the freedom is not absolute. The courts have allowed administrators to place reasonable restrictions on location, time, and manner of students and groups. In Tinker v. Des Moines, the court made it clear that, students do not “… shed their constitutional rights when they enter the schoolhouse door." To strengthen the importance of free speech on campus the court said, in Shelton v. Tucker “The vigilant protection of constitutional freedoms is nowhere more vital than in the community of American Schools.” These rights allow students to be able to take courses in a wide variety of subject matter, which may include topics often considered controversial. Moreover, student must have the ability to explore and discuss those topics without fear censorship or retaliation.
Silverglate, H. A., French, D., Lukianoff, G., & Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, (. (FIRE). (2012). FIRE's Guide to Free Speech on Campus. Second Edition. FIRE's Guides to Student Rights on Campus. Foundation for Individual Rights in Education.
In 2012, Professor John Duffy published an essay titled “Virtuous Arguments” discussing the importance of first-year writing courses. In his essay, Duffy explains that toxic rhetoric is overwhelmingly being used by the media, politicians, and other officials. For instance, Duffy exemplifies this by stating that politicians have called their opponents “Nazi propagandists” and “demons.” He argues that the only way this can be stopped is with first-year writing courses. These courses are more than just a “speed bump” students have to pass through (Duffy 1). He states that these courses teach students how to engage in an ethical public discourse without the use of toxic rhetoric. This will help them be successful in their college careers and beyond
College is often said to be the time to be whoever you want to be. However, when a student feels they need to make the choice to cover, they lose the opportunity to be themselves and learn more about their community. Covering is a person or group’s acts of censoring portions of their identity viewed as disadvantageous in an attempt to assimilate. Judicial and societal unwillingness to provide protection for marginalized communities furthers encouragement for individuals to cover. While some civil rights activists intertwine protective legislation with equality, requirements for covering in college settings shows a lack of equality and the need for creating a model of acceptance, an opportunity to further equality throughout the world.