How bad has the liberal college “safe space” movement gotten? So bad that even raising your arms or shaking your head in disagreement is grounds for being thrown out of a student council meeting for a “safe space violation.” And that’s exactly what happened to Imogen Wilson, a student at Edinburgh University in Scotland.
According to the UK Telegraph:
Ms Wilson said she raised her arms in disagreement after being accused by another speaker of failing to respond to an open letter, despite in fact having made efforts to contact the letter’s authors.
A complaint was made against Ms Wilson, who was then subjected to a vote on whether she should be removed from the room.
Although the vote went in her favour, with 18 people voting to remove her and 33 voting for her to be allowed to remain, she was later threatened with another complaint after shaking her head while someone was speaking.
She shook her head? THE HORROR! Nobody should ever have to see that!
According to the Edinburgh University Students’ Association (EUSA) Safe Space Policy, “Members are expected to respect the right of all students attending Student Council (and related meetings) and staff to enjoy EUSA as a safe space environment, defined as a space which is welcoming and safe and includes the prohibition of discriminatory language and actions.”
One of the rules includes “Refraining from hand gestures which denote disagreement or in any other way indicating disagreement with a point or points being made. Disagreements should only be evident through the normal course of debate…. Gestures indicating agreement are permissible, if these gestures are generally understood and not used in an intimidating manner.”
So, pretty much, students must be protected from ever seeing any indication that people disagree with them, they are only to be shown agreement. Yeah, that’s healthy! Can’t wait to see their safe space bubbles pop the next time they cut someone off on the road!
Aside from being utterly ridiculous in their own right, Edinburgh’s safe space rules are also being insidiously used to selectively shut certain people up. The ole “safe space for me, not for thee” canard liberals love.
[Wilson] said: “At that meeting we were discussing BDS, the movement to boycott Israel. I made a long and passionate speech against us subscribing to this, on the basis it encourages anti-Semitism on campus. It was only after I made that speech that someone made a safe space complaint. I can’t help but think it was a political move against me.
“Later on in the meeting, someone threatened me with a second complaint because I was shaking my head – but when I was addressing the room about my worries about Jewish students, there were plenty of people shaking their heads and nothing happened.”
Even more offensive than hand movements and head shakes, Wilson was – GASP – defending Israel! Another mortal sin on today’s university campuses!
Sadly this girl still buys into the safe space notion:
“I totally do believe in safe space and the principles behind it,” she told the Telegraph. “It’s supposed to enhance free speech and not shut it down, and give everyone a chance to feel like they can contribute.
“Safe space is essential for us to have a debate where everyone can speak, but it can’t become a tool for the hard left to use when they disagree with people.”
Sorry, Ms. Wilson, but this is exactly what these safe spaces are all about. It’s about time you learn, dear, “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.”
**Shaking my head**
Here in America, Rep. Peter Roskam, R-Ill., is warning of the consequences of political correctness going too far on college campuses:
What do you think? Are safe spaces, micro-aggressions, and political correctness going too far? Sound off below!
