What happened to tolerance for humanity? For people who have forgotten, I will define tolerance and humanity. Tolerance is the ability or willingness to tolerate something, in particular the existence of opinions one does not necessarily agree with completely. Humanity is the quality or state of being kind to other people.

The past days, weeks, months, and years have brought about strong negative feelings toward people with opposing views. Some people even resort to preaching hate towards people with opposing views. This is a major problem in our country and especially on college campuses.

I feel as though “safe spaces” on college campuses are making tolerance for humanity nearly impossible in today’s world.

What are Safe Spaces on College Campuses?

The term “safe space” has been misconstrued in recent years. Safe spaces are places for individuals who are marginalized to come together to communicate regarding their experiences with marginalization.

But is this good for college campuses? In my honest opinion, the answer is no. What will happen if we live our life in a bubble while in college? Do you think we will be able to be active member in society? If we live our college life in a bubble, we will not be prepared to communicate with people who are different than us. If we cannot even communicate with someone who does not have the same beliefs as us we will inevitably be intolerant for humanity.

I am against safe spaces on college campuses.

An Alternative to Safe Spaces on College Campuses

Is there an alternative to “safe spaces” on college campuses? Yes, the alternative to safe spaces is free speech. If we can learn to have a respectful and productive discussion with someone who is different than us we can become better members of society. We will be able to listen to both sides of an issue and compromise to make sure our society is inclusive and portrays the views of our society as a collective whole.

Politicians Advice for College Students

“Listen, engage, if the other side has a point, learn from them. If they’re wrong, rebut them, teach them, beat them on the battlefield of ideas.” President Obama said at his commencement addresses at Howard University.

“The whole purpose of college is to learn how to deal with difficult situations — not run away from them. A micro aggression is exactly that: micro. And one of the most dangerous places on a college campus is a safe space, because it creates the false impression that we can insulate ourselves from those who hold different views.” Michael Bloomberg said at his commencement address at the University of Michigan.

5 ways to burst your college bubble.

1. Have a respectful and engaging conversation with someone who disagrees with you.

2. Befriend someone who identifies with a particular candidate and/or political party opposite of yours.

3. Engage respectfully in debates on certain issues on your campus while making sure to be open to the ideas brought forth by both sides.

4. Follow accounts on social media that give you a plethora of views on an issue.

5. There are two sides to every issue, study up on both.

Can we be friends?

Yes, we can be friends with people who have opposing views. We can have positive debate without being hateful towards one another, but how? This falls back on individual responsibility. It is our individual responsibility to be kind to one another. We must remember, thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. If we can have positive discussion with individuals who hold different beliefs and/or values, we will in turn be a more knowledgeable and respectful towards all opinions on certain issues. In turn, this will make our society a more collective and wholesome body.

We must always be friends because tolerance for humanity is key in making sure everyone is living out their dream.