In the aftermath of the recent presidential election and the implications that may accompany it, people (mostly millennials) are becoming very sensitive. Here at Lake Forest, the election results spurred professors to cancel class, caused group mourning sessions, and made the campus one big safe space. Even the utterance of the president elect’s name created tension. Not only are all of these actions and instances completely ridiculous, they don’t serve anyone well.
I find it hard to believe that acting in such a way and being unable to control feelings due to an event that will not alter your everyday life whatsoever will help anyone further their social development. In fact, I believe these safe spaces, email notifications, and class cancellations all pertaining to the “sensitivity” of the student and faculty body actually serve as a detriment to the progress of getting over tricky issues. When there is a divide among students and faculty alike, it helps no one to foster one-sided thinking. Such thinking only solidifies the problem of being unable to accept difference in the world, and in some cases, it may cause more problems than it solves.
Professors often discourage skipping class, but what’s the deal with canceling class? Just as students are reprimanded for skipping class, why can’t teachers be held responsible for letting their emotions overcome their professional duty? Unless something far more devastating than someone winning an election on a broken system occurred, I don’t see the big deal.
As far as I know, nothing since the election has changed. People are still ignoring the Standing Rock pipeline dispute, people are continuing to be racist, no one has been deported, and gender inequality is still prevalent. For those of you thinking I am a Trump supporter, I will tell you from an unbiased perspective, that Hillary in office wouldn’t have made any significant difference. This may come as a surprise to some of you, but that’s most likely attributed to you consuming biased knowledge that fits your ideological agenda.
Remember, this is an opinions article, and everyone is entitled to their own opinion. It is so incredibly important to think for yourself and develop an informed reality, especially in an age where basic privacy is being diminished. Our First Amendment right may be the most important statute in our country’s legislature. So next time you believe words are “hurtful,” just remember that our ability to speak our mind without censorship is one of the cornerstone liberties the U.S. is built on. As sad as it is to see people in such distress over a name they were called, or described in a less-than-ideal manner, it presents a troubling vision for our future.
Presently, Twitter has come under fire for restricting free speech due to efforts to implement programs to filter news feeds based on harmful words or phrases. If that is an issue for social media users, stop using it. Some may say it’s easier said than done, but the last time I checked the only difficult thing to relinquish is the fear of missing out and the illusion that people really care about your social media profile. It is unfortunate that a large population of people call for reform when other people don’t succumb to your personal standards of use because of their sensitivity to controllable variables. Next time you hear something you don’t like, just relax. Do not attack someone for disagreeing with you; instead, try to open your mind to new ways of thinking.
