If you haven’t already read the miles upon miles of articles circulating the internet, here is a little itty bitty taste of the recent discussion on trigger warnings and safe spaces. This discussion, of course, is coming from a super unthreatening college source (i.e. me).
So what are trigger warnings and safe spaces? As straight forward and simple as they sound, a trigger warning is any statement made that informs the listener that what is about to be said may make a person uncomfortable or cause severe distress. Such topics include sexual harassment or abuse, death, sickness, poverty, sexual orientation… if someone can feel uncomfortable about it, it very well could be preceded by a trigger warning.
Safe spaces wouldn’t exist without the topics that trigger warnings are here for. Unfortunately, defining safe spaces seems to have become a little murky as of late. A safe space, in the best meaning of the phrase, is a place for individuals to go where they can feel free to express their feelings and beliefs without the fear of being judged. It is a place of acceptance and trust. Yet in the news recently, a different kind of safe space has been advertised that nearly tarnishes the sacrality of this truly good thing.
Over the past week or so there has been a lot of publicity and comments being made painting safe spaces as places for college students to go to hide away from the problems of the world. They’ve been deemed cozy hideaways for students to go to when they do not want to deal with the messiness of reality.
This is a much different definition than simply a safe, non-judgmental environment for people to gain care and support from.
This definition of a safe space is devastating to me.
The thought that there are places specifically meant for helping humans avoid messy, red-light topics in our world terrifies me. If anything, that has got to send us back at least half a century or so. Back to a time when ignorance was more tolerable over talking about these serious topics. It is so necessary -- no, it is required that we as a human race have thoughtful discussions about all things in the world surrounding us, whether it be rape, death or suicide. Comfortable or not we have a duty to fully understand all things regarding our safety and wellbeing as a whole race.
In my head I am just imagining a world where no one says what they mean or believe and everyone is scared of the things they’ve experienced and the feelings they have. The first definition of a safe space is beautiful, that is exactly what the whole world should be. A place where everyone should feel non-discriminated against and safe and loved and significant and 100% comfortable to be who they are. Obviously that’s super high hopes for our messy world. As for the second definition? That is a place that will inhibit these individuals. That is a place that will bring forth nothing but more racism and sexism and misogyny and hate. A place where people will go so they don’t have to deal with such things and will, in the end, make them all a more immense problem then ever before.
So my thoughts on trigger warnings and safe spaces on college campus’s? Go ahead professors and speakers, give your trigger warnings. Give students the chance to decide whether they should stay or go. That only seems fair and in line with everything this country is about, the power and freedom of choice. As for safe spaces, lets bring back the old safe space. The pure and good one that provides safety and love and a shoulder to cry on when need be. I am all for support and love. I am absolutely not for hiding away so as to avoid talking about things that are scary and distressing. I fully understand how hard it is to go through sexual harassment and assault. I know war is scary and death is heartbreaking and drug addiction is a horrifying reality and suicidal thoughts are unfortunately all too common today…but you know what? What help will it be to survivors of these different situations if everyone is taught to think it’s okay to be afraid of talking about them? How will that help prevention in the future of such terrible happenings? Language is our most powerful tool, if we don’t utilize it we might as well just give it up. Here’s to being open to the uncomfortable and the awkward. We have got to start somewhere.
