Humans have short memories and shorter attention spans and unfortunately, we tend to take for granted certain things we have and forget what others sacrificed so that we could have our rights.
The freedom of expression we enjoy in more developed countries wasn’t always there. Our ancestors fought tooth and nail to have to right to their freedom, sometimes at a great cost to them. Many were jailed, physically abused and even killed before society achieved the current state we should all be very grateful for.
Today, in many countries journalists are being thrown in jail for opposing government injustice. Sometimes those who dare telling the truth simply “disappear”. Being able to keep a blog where you say what you think about whatever you’re interested in is a luxury many people in this world don’t have because of censorship and persecution.
At the same time people in those lands are fighting to be given the freedom we have, what is happening to ours? We seem to be going back to censorship, but this time of a different kind. Our freedom of expression is now being attacked by people who have become so sensitive and so self centered that they find everything offensive.
Outrage is everywhere. The smallest little thing that people would simply ignore a few years ago because they had more important things to worry about, now merits a youtube video, a twitter outrage or some other form of online expression.
The result is that many people are now becoming afraid of expressing themselves. We’re walking on eggshells around others.
Political correctness or whatever people want to call it, is getting ridiculous. Here’s a few examples:
To Kill a Mocking Bird has been banned from some schools because it made students “uncomfortable.” (School district pulls 'To Kill A Mockingbird' from reading list; 'makes people uncomfortable')
British doctors have been told to call expectant mothers “pregnant people”.( Don't call pregnant women 'expectant mothers' as it might offend transgender people, BMA says )
A student reporter got booted for asserting that killing apostates and infidels is sanctioned in some Muslim countries. (Portland student reporter fired for reporting public statement about Islam’s demonization of nonbelievers)
A law student at Edinburgh University is being investigated for committing a hate crime after mocking ISIS on Facebook. (Edinburgh University Student Faces Investigation for Mocking ISIS on Facebook (Updated)+)
In California, health care workers who incorrectly addressed a senior transgender patient using the wrong pronoun can receive harsher penalties than individuals who knowingly infect their sexual partners with HIV. (California To Have Harsher Penalty For Pronoun Violations Than For Knowingly Spreading HIV)
Berkeley closed its free audio library because it was inaccessible to the hearing-disabled community. (Berkeley Removes 20,000* Free Online Videos to Comply with Insane Department of Justice Ruling)
A University of Michigan group that criticized the school for failing to promote “diversity, equity, and inclusion” called for a space that will not allow white students. (UMich Students Demand 'No-Whites-Allowed' Safe-Space To Plot "Social Justice" Activism)
Carleton University removed a weight scale from its gym to promote healthy body image. (Students weigh in after Carleton University removes 'triggering' gym scale)
A University of Georgia professor adopted a “stress reduction policy” allowing emotionally brittle students to select their own grades if they felt “unduly stressed.” For in-class presentations, he allows “only positive comments.” (Prof lets students choose own grades for 'stress reduction')
CA professors claim that farmers markets normalize white people’s racism.
Two CA Professors Say Farmers' Markets Racist For Normalizing "Habits Of White People"
Head chef gets death threats over spiking vegan food claim
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeand...s-death-threats-over-spiking-vegan-food-claim
Epic Padmaavat has opened in cinemas across India under blanket security after months of fierce protests
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...epic-film-hindu-queen-muslim-threats-violence
I’m not taking sides or defending anyone with these examples. My point is, do these situations justify the outrageous reactions people had?
I find the last one particularly appalling. The film crew being attacked and women threatening to burn themselves alive because of a movie. Really?
If only people were so passionate about ending corruption, poverty, pollution, inequality, etc…
The freedom of expression we enjoy in more developed countries wasn’t always there. Our ancestors fought tooth and nail to have to right to their freedom, sometimes at a great cost to them. Many were jailed, physically abused and even killed before society achieved the current state we should all be very grateful for.
Today, in many countries journalists are being thrown in jail for opposing government injustice. Sometimes those who dare telling the truth simply “disappear”. Being able to keep a blog where you say what you think about whatever you’re interested in is a luxury many people in this world don’t have because of censorship and persecution.
At the same time people in those lands are fighting to be given the freedom we have, what is happening to ours? We seem to be going back to censorship, but this time of a different kind. Our freedom of expression is now being attacked by people who have become so sensitive and so self centered that they find everything offensive.
Outrage is everywhere. The smallest little thing that people would simply ignore a few years ago because they had more important things to worry about, now merits a youtube video, a twitter outrage or some other form of online expression.
The result is that many people are now becoming afraid of expressing themselves. We’re walking on eggshells around others.
Political correctness or whatever people want to call it, is getting ridiculous. Here’s a few examples:
To Kill a Mocking Bird has been banned from some schools because it made students “uncomfortable.” (School district pulls 'To Kill A Mockingbird' from reading list; 'makes people uncomfortable')
British doctors have been told to call expectant mothers “pregnant people”.( Don't call pregnant women 'expectant mothers' as it might offend transgender people, BMA says )
A student reporter got booted for asserting that killing apostates and infidels is sanctioned in some Muslim countries. (Portland student reporter fired for reporting public statement about Islam’s demonization of nonbelievers)
A law student at Edinburgh University is being investigated for committing a hate crime after mocking ISIS on Facebook. (Edinburgh University Student Faces Investigation for Mocking ISIS on Facebook (Updated)+)
In California, health care workers who incorrectly addressed a senior transgender patient using the wrong pronoun can receive harsher penalties than individuals who knowingly infect their sexual partners with HIV. (California To Have Harsher Penalty For Pronoun Violations Than For Knowingly Spreading HIV)
Berkeley closed its free audio library because it was inaccessible to the hearing-disabled community. (Berkeley Removes 20,000* Free Online Videos to Comply with Insane Department of Justice Ruling)
A University of Michigan group that criticized the school for failing to promote “diversity, equity, and inclusion” called for a space that will not allow white students. (UMich Students Demand 'No-Whites-Allowed' Safe-Space To Plot "Social Justice" Activism)
Carleton University removed a weight scale from its gym to promote healthy body image. (Students weigh in after Carleton University removes 'triggering' gym scale)
A University of Georgia professor adopted a “stress reduction policy” allowing emotionally brittle students to select their own grades if they felt “unduly stressed.” For in-class presentations, he allows “only positive comments.” (Prof lets students choose own grades for 'stress reduction')
CA professors claim that farmers markets normalize white people’s racism.
Two CA Professors Say Farmers' Markets Racist For Normalizing "Habits Of White People"
Head chef gets death threats over spiking vegan food claim
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeand...s-death-threats-over-spiking-vegan-food-claim
Epic Padmaavat has opened in cinemas across India under blanket security after months of fierce protests
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...epic-film-hindu-queen-muslim-threats-violence
I’m not taking sides or defending anyone with these examples. My point is, do these situations justify the outrageous reactions people had?
I find the last one particularly appalling. The film crew being attacked and women threatening to burn themselves alive because of a movie. Really?
If only people were so passionate about ending corruption, poverty, pollution, inequality, etc…
