‘Safe spaces’ ultimately stifle personal growth
Remember the game we played as children where we would try to tag another, but if you reached a certain area of the yard or house, you would yell out “safe!” and not be tagged as “it”? As adults, we learned that finding safe spaces is not that easy.
During doctor visits that promised some amount of pain we could go to that safe place in our mind, hoping to distract ourselves from the discomfort. The place we went wasn’t so much physical as virtual.
I didn’t go to college to find a safe space. I went to learn and grow. Part of the maturation process is dealing with life’s irritations and problems. It also entails learning to deal with those who disagree with you. We cannot expect to live our lives only with those who always agree with our views.
College is supposed to be the place that provides opportunity to expand your perspective. Part of that journey involves listening to those whose perspectives differ from your own. The words they use may be coarse, even vulgar. Such words may be spoken to provoke an emotional reaction from the listener. Words aren’t supposed to hurt, but the ideas behind the words can be upsetting. The first amendment was designed to allow all speech; even lies, fabrications and violent words. The intent was to give all people freedom to express a viewpoint without fear of incarceration or harm.
Today we hear of college students forcing faculty and administrations to cancel lectures by controversial speakers. They don’t want to hear their words because they feel threatened by the speakers’ words. They claim that a campus should have “safe spaces” that accommodate only their own viewpoint. Sadly, many administrations cave in to the demands of students with no tolerance for opposing views. This goes entirely against the whole process of education. Speech should be heard. If it is offensive or untrue, speak your own words to the truth. Don’t run away to your “safe space” and put your fingers in your ears. Learn to use words.
It is a sad world when we close our minds to the consideration of opposing viewpoints. Sadder still when violence is threatened as leverage against the speaking of words that may frighten.
— Devin Houston is the president/CEO of Houston Enzymes. Send comments or questions to devin.houston@gmail.com. The opinions expressed are those of the author.