I write a lot about my opinions of the Right and the issues I have with some of their stances, ideologies and the like. This time, I’d like to share some of the issues I have with the extreme Left. That being safe spaces and Social Justice Warriors (SJW).
For those not familiar with the concept of a safe space, it is essentially an ideological place where people are free from hearing ideas and opinions that they may find offensive. Universities tend to be one such venue where these individuals claim sanctuary from anyone’s use of free speech that doesn’t align with their point of view. The very idea of a safe space removes any possibility of a dialogue to better understand one another. Just because a person has a viewpoint that is different than another person, does not mean that person is wrong. A safe space just creates an echo chamber where like minded individuals get a feedback loop that reinforces their thoughts and opinions. With that being said, I do believe there is a difference between free speech and hate speech. The line that divides the two, I believe, is when one starts calling to action for the harm of others.
Social Justice Warriors, and this is strictly my opinion, are the Left’s version of Alex Jones, Sean Hannity and the like. While most SJW’s are not famous nor have a regular massive platform such as Hannity, they make their voice so loud and obnoxious that it becomes hard to ignore. What most Social Justice Warriors contribute to society is taking some inconsequential item and turning it into a a huge ordeal. A good example of this is ShirtGate or ShirtStorm. On November 13, 2014 Matt Taylor, a British physicist with the European Space Agency, who just landed a probe on a comet, gave an interview. During this interview Taylor was wearing a Hawaiian style shirt that featured drawn pin-up girls in various stages of undress. While perhaps not the most appropriate shirt for giving an interview, a group of critics took to their online platform of choice and started lambasting Taylor. An article on The Verge “I don’t care if you landed a spacecraft on a comet, your shirt is sexist and ostracizing.”
In my opinion such mindsets prevent any chance of individuals being able to find common ground. One cannot go through life, not truly, without hearing, experiencing, and feeling things that are contrary and foreign to their paradigm. If one is to be a responsible member of society one must be able to make an effort to look past the things that make us different and seek to find the commonality that all humans share. That is to the fullest extent possible within reason.
A Voice to Listen 