# Political Correctness in our universities **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [April 25, 2018, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-correctness-in-our-universities/813108 "2018-04-25T15:58:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 11
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2018, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-correctness-in-our-universities/813108/201 "2018-05-02T22:49:35Z")
Nm ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2018, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-correctness-in-our-universities/813108/202 "2018-05-02T22:52:40Z")
> [@octopus](#): > > C’mon guys it’s only a few posts above yours. That wasn’t the post you responded to. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2018, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-correctness-in-our-universities/813108/203 "2018-05-02T22:54:04Z")
> [@octopus](#): > > Even if you want to get into escalating violence bystanders might not want to be collateral damage. > > Furthermore, what the left really wants is the power that comes with the mob’s response to the label. > > Just like labeling a person you don’t like a Nazi gives you ‘license’ to punch that person, labeling someone witch means you can burn them to death, blasphemer you can jihadify them, heretic toss them in something unpleasant. Don’t even need to debate any merits, just label and punish. > > That’s the history you all conveniently forget. Why do you insist on slandering the left and liberals as a group of millions for the statements and actions of a tiny number? It’s not hard to be specific. It’s lazy and incorrect to use such broad brushes. ---
**Author:** ![octopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/octopus/32/3716_2.png) [@octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octopus)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2018, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-correctness-in-our-universities/813108/204 "2018-05-02T23:58:36Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > That wasn’t the post you responded to. It’s not my problem that you can’t be bothered to read the thread. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2018, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-correctness-in-our-universities/813108/205 "2018-05-03T00:04:54Z")
> [@octopus](#): > > You all are supposed to be educated. Nazis or whatever are irrelevant. The idea that violence is acceptable or desirable to eliminate certain thoughts or speech is not something those who believe in liberty and are aware of history should be advocating. Last I checked, “those who believe in liberty” include them there guys who shot at Redcoats a lot… and advocated such. But no, I don’t advocate violence as a rule. I advocate violence as a last resort in response to some verbal violence/toxicity which itself amounts to a slap in the face (and is often meant as such - “fighting words” if you will) ; that’s all. Spirited debate and rational dialogue is fine and all ; but it’s not always the right answer or what is called for. When the drunk guy at the bar calls you a faggot, what he’s not doing is trying to engage you in a rational debate. When Sean Hannity opens his stupid mouth to say something disingenuous (but I repeat myself), he’s not looking for counter arguments. When the Pregnancy Crisis trailer parks in front of Planned Parenthood, they’re not here for an honest and informed dialogue with annotated cites. When Richard Spencer or Ann Coulter book a seminar on Berkeley’s campus, they’re not here for a chat, they’re trolling. And a burning cross is, technically, a form of speech. So why should I behave as is they’re acting in good faith ? Why should I respect their speech, nevermind their opinion ? Toxic speech is toxic, often harmful. And I am not required to let that shit slide, in fact I’d be a poor citizen if I did not react emotionally to some stuff - like a couple years back when a college teacher wouldn’t teach while a girl in the class was wearing a hijab, tried to shame her in front of her class and spouted falsehoods at her (like “it is not allowed in universities, by law”), all in service of their own wrong idea of what laicity means - but really boiling down to xenophobia. It wasn’t my problem, it wasn’t even my class and I didn’t have to speak up, but I did, because fuck \*that \*shit. As for what happens when my own opinions are answered with violence (and for the record, a boycott or demonstration or getting your sponsors to dump your ass isn’t violence), first of all I’ll deal with that when that happens, second of all that’ll be the day I finally move to Norway and damn their weather and food. I’m sure they have enough beer to make it all tolerable – because when the golden rule and “just fucking live with each other without prejudice or hate, you miserable cunts !” is answered with violence, my own society will have become irredeemably fucked. Considering how popular the FN and Génération Identitaire are these days, that’s not altogether unthinkable to me, btw. > [@](#): > > Just like labeling a person you don’t like a Nazi gives you ‘license’ to punch that person, labeling someone witch means you can burn them to death, blasphemer you can jihadify them, heretic toss them in something unpleasant. Don’t even need to debate any merits, just label and punish. > > That’s the history you all conveniently forget. Well, it’s hard to not label a person a Nazi when they have swastika tattoos and/or talk shit about the “globalist elites” subverting society, yanno ? Or the same about Roma, foreigners, Muslims, black people, gays etc… I’m actually fairly solid on who’s an actual Nazi, mate. The extrapolation on “tarring everybody you don’t like” is all yours, unless you can cite me doing just that. And last I checked, the American right was the one with the Hitler fetish (remember Jon Stewart doing Glenn Beck ? God, that was a good bit. Just looked it up cause I had forgotten Glenn’s name and it still has me in stitches). Or the soshulist one. Fact is, it’s real easy to never be labelled a Nazi. Nobody has ever called me one in my entire life, even though I shave my head and wear combat boots all the time. And I’m not even making an effort to be polite ! Imagine that. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2018, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-correctness-in-our-universities/813108/206 "2018-05-03T00:11:11Z")
> [@octopus](#): > > It’s not my problem that you can’t be bothered to read the thread. Apologies for missing that post. I’ll await your apology for slandering me and millions of others on the left, including many veterans. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2018, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-correctness-in-our-universities/813108/207 "2018-05-03T00:13:04Z")
> [@g8rguy](#): > > I thought I was clear, when I said that you were right way back when, when you mentioned the magical word “disruptive.” Thus, for example, I said earlier on this page > > So if you think you can be rude or disrespectful while still doing your job correctly, then yes, I apply the same standard. I missed that earlier. Okay, you’re consistent–but you’re pretty far out of the mainstream on this issue. > [@](#): > > Sure, with the caveat that I didn’t look for cases I was interested in defending or knowledgeable about, I looked for cases for which I could easily find citations that didn’t come from FIRE. That’s a pretty big caveat. Is that going to apply to future cites from you? If so, I won’t bother with them–cites that you don’t know whether they support your case aren’t particularly helpful cites. > [@](#): > > Aside: can you link to the place you took Hopkin’s clarification that when they said they would not tolerate rude and disrespectful behavior, they only kinda sorta meant it? From FIRE I found [a link to the code in question](https://d28htnjz2elwuj.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/19072234/principles-for-ensuring-equity.pdf) in which your quotation does not appear. I’m certain you didn’t fabricate it, of course, but I didn’t find it with a cursory look and it seemed fair to me to ask you to provide your source. The FIRE cite you(?) offered previously had two footnotes for JHU, 15, and 17. One of them is the principles for equity. The other goes to [this document](http://web.jhu.edu/administration/provost/initiatives/academicfreedom/AcademicFreedomatJohnsHopkins.pdf), whence I drew that quote. If that’s not what you mean, I’m afraid you’ll need to be clearer about what you’re talking about. > [@](#): > > I think it might help for me to be clearer about what precisely I object to in the standard you are defending, i.e. that uncivil, rude, or disrespectful behavior can fairly result in state sanction. What I object to is that the standard is totally decontextualized. But context matters. I’d argue that context is critical. Context is important–but part of the context is of course that shitty social systems have been in place for centuries in our country, and bigoted abuse is one aspect of these shitty systems. Folks who are members of groups that have been traditionally oppressed often experience disproportionate stress when subjected to bigoted verbal abuse, making it disproportionately difficult to focus on studies. Without a clear benefit to allowing bigoted verbal abuse, the harm here outweighs the benefits. That said, objections to speech codes that are based on their fuzzy and overbroad nature can be pretty strong. In the abstract I’d like to ban being an asshole on campus, especially being a bigoted asshole; but I understand and appreciate the argument that this tumor can’t be cut away without cutting away healthy flesh. > [@](#): > > If I recall correctly, you’re not concerned with the harms that may result under the policy, only with those that actually do result. I’m really not sure where you’re going with this. In general I’m far more concerned with what actually happens than with fears about what may happen, and in the category of what hasn’t happened I’m far more concerned about what there’s good evidence for the probability of happening than about what somebody has posited might possibly in theory happen but has never happened before. This applies to supporting speech as well as to constraining it, and also to every area of public life. > [@octopus](#): > > It’s not my problem that you can’t be bothered to read the thread. > **[Misinterpretation](https://xkcd.com/1984/)** > > "But there are seven billion people in the world! I can't possibly stop to consider how ALL of them might interpret something!" "Ah, yes, there's no middle ground between 'taking personal responsibility for the thoughts and feelings of every single person on Earth' and 'covering your eyes and ears and yelling logically correct statements into the void.' That's a very insightful point and not at all inane." ---
**Author:** ![octopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/octopus/32/3716_2.png) [@octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octopus)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2018, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-correctness-in-our-universities/813108/208 "2018-05-03T00:14:58Z")
> [@Kobal2](#): > > Last I checked, “those who believe in liberty” include them there guys who shot at Redcoats a lot… and advocated such. > > But no, I don’t advocate violence as a rule. I advocate violence as a last resort in response to some verbal violence/toxicity which itself amounts to a slap in the face (and is often meant as such - “fighting words” if you will) ; that’s all. > Spirited debate and rational dialogue is fine and all ; but it’s not always the right answer or what is called for. When the drunk guy at the bar calls you a faggot, what he’s not doing is trying to engage you in a rational debate. When Sean Hannity opens his stupid mouth to say something disingenuous (but I repeat myself), he’s not looking for counter arguments. When the Pregnancy Crisis trailer parks in front of Planned Parenthood, they’re not here for an honest and informed dialogue with annotated cites. When Richard Spencer or Ann Coulter book a seminar on Berkeley’s campus, they’re not here for a chat, they’re trolling. And a burning cross is, technically, a form of speech. > > So why should I behave as is they’re acting in good faith ? Why should I respect their speech, nevermind their opinion ? Toxic speech is toxic, often harmful. And I am not required to let that shit slide, in fact I’d be a poor citizen if I did not react emotionally to some stuff - like a couple years back when a college teacher wouldn’t teach while a girl in the class was wearing a hijab, tried to shame her in front of her class and spouted falsehoods at her (like “it is not allowed in universities, by law”), all in service of their own wrong idea of what laicity means - but really boiling down to xenophobia. It wasn’t my problem, it wasn’t even my class and I didn’t have to speak up, but I did, because fuck \*that \*shit. > > As for what happens when my own opinions are answered with violence (and for the record, a boycott or demonstration or getting your sponsors to dump your ass isn’t violence), first of all I’ll deal with that when that happens, second of all that’ll be the day I finally move to Norway and damn their weather and food. I’m sure they have enough beer to make it all tolerable – because when the golden rule and “just fucking live with each other without prejudice or hate, you miserable cunts !” is answered with violence, my own society will have become irredeemably fucked. > Considering how popular the FN and Génération Identitaire are these days, that’s not altogether unthinkable to me, btw. > > Well, it’s hard to not label a person a Nazi when they have swastika tattoos and/or talk shit about the “globalist elites” subverting society, yanno ? Or the same about Roma, foreigners, Muslims, black people, gays etc… > > I’m actually fairly solid on who’s an actual Nazi, mate. The extrapolation on “tarring everybody you don’t like” is all yours, unless you can cite me doing just that. And last I checked, the American right was the one with the Hitler fetish (remember Jon Stewart doing Glenn Beck ? God, that was a good bit. Just looked it up cause I had forgotten Glenn’s name and it still has me in stitches). Or the soshulist one. > > Fact is, it’s real easy to never be labelled a Nazi. Nobody has ever called me one in my entire life, even though I shave my head and wear combat boots all the time. And I’m not even making an effort to be polite ! Imagine that. Nice essay but a revolution is war. If they lost they’d have been dealt with. Check out the post French Revolution behaviors to see what happens when you lose a war, are unpopular amongst the powerful, or just don’t pass some arbitrary state of ideological purity. Secondly, it’s not real easy to be avoid being labeled a Nazi, heretic, blasphemer, collaborator… All you have to do is have something someone wants or express an opinion that doesn’t coincide with some ideological orthodoxy. ---
**Author:** ![octopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/octopus/32/3716_2.png) [@octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octopus)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2018, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-correctness-in-our-universities/813108/209 "2018-05-03T00:16:38Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > Apologies for missing that post. I’ll await your apology for slandering me and millions of others on the left, including many veterans. Yeah. When this board refrains from equivalent behavior directed at conservatives I’ll do likewise. ---
**Author:** ![octopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/octopus/32/3716_2.png) [@octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octopus)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2018, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-correctness-in-our-universities/813108/210 "2018-05-03T00:23:38Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > I missed that earlier. Okay, you’re consistent–but you’re pretty far out of the mainstream on this issue. > > That’s a pretty big caveat. Is that going to apply to future cites from you? If so, I won’t bother with them–cites that you don’t know whether they support your case aren’t particularly helpful cites. > The FIRE cite you(?) offered previously had two footnotes for JHU, 15, and 17. One of them is the principles for equity. The other goes to [this document](http://web.jhu.edu/administration/provost/initiatives/academicfreedom/AcademicFreedomatJohnsHopkins.pdf), whence I drew that quote. If that’s not what you mean, I’m afraid you’ll need to be clearer about what you’re talking about. > > Context is important–but part of the context is of course that shitty social systems have been in place for centuries in our country, and bigoted abuse is one aspect of these shitty systems. Folks who are members of groups that have been traditionally oppressed often experience disproportionate stress when subjected to bigoted verbal abuse, making it disproportionately difficult to focus on studies. Without a clear benefit to allowing bigoted verbal abuse, the harm here outweighs the benefits. > > That said, objections to speech codes that are based on their fuzzy and overbroad nature can be pretty strong. In the abstract I’d like to ban being an asshole on campus, especially being a bigoted asshole; but I understand and appreciate the argument that this tumor can’t be cut away without cutting away healthy flesh. > > I’m really not sure where you’re going with this. In general I’m far more concerned with what actually happens than with fears about what may happen, and in the category of what hasn’t happened I’m far more concerned about what there’s good evidence for the probability of happening than about what somebody has posited might possibly in theory happen but has never happened before. This applies to supporting speech as well as to constraining it, and also to every area of public life. > [xkcd: Misinterpretation](https://xkcd.com/1984/) Your cartoon would be funny if it were relevant. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2018, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-correctness-in-our-universities/813108/211 "2018-05-03T00:24:58Z")
> [@octopus](#): > > Nice essay but a revolution is war. If they lost they’d have been dealt with. Check out the post French Revolution behaviors to see what happens when you lose a war, are unpopular amongst the powerful, or just don’t pass some arbitrary state of ideological purity. As it so happens, I have worked extensively on the Revolution, the Terror and what followed. It was a very complicated time, a very emotional time, and **also a war**. The Terror wasn’t caused by a strive for some sort of ideological purity - the people were legit scared out of their wits that Austria was going to invade and put the nobility back on the throne. Because, yanno, they said they were going to. It’s absolutely not relevant to the debate, though. We’re not living in those kinds of times at all. It’s OK, bro, they’re not going to put a guillotine in Berkeley ; although they really ought to put one up in Wall Street. > [@](#): > > Secondly, it’s not real easy to be avoid being labeled a Nazi, heretic, blasphemer, collaborator… All you have to do is have something someone wants or express an opinion that doesn’t coincide with some ideological orthodoxy. And yet, again, it never happened to me. Or anyone I know or remotely like. Funny how that works. But keep playing the “Trump supporters, Richard Spencer and Fox News anchors are the real victims here !” card, I’m sure we’ll all be impressed momentarily. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2018, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-correctness-in-our-universities/813108/212 "2018-05-03T00:25:42Z")
> [@octopus](#): > > Yeah. When this board refrains from equivalent behavior directed at conservatives I’ll do likewise. So you think it’s wrong but you do it anyway? And you justify this because at least one liberal on this board does the same, which will almost certainly always be the case with hundreds or thousands of members? Forgive me for ever believing you might be interested in reasonable discussion and exchange of ideas, rather than mass insults of those who disagree with you. We used to have reasonable discussions, but I guess that isn’t on the table anymore. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2018, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-correctness-in-our-universities/813108/213 "2018-05-03T00:28:30Z")
> [@octopus](#): > > Your cartoon would be funny if it were relevant. Your response makes it even funnier, so kudos! ---
**Author:** ![octopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/octopus/32/3716_2.png) [@octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octopus)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2018, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-correctness-in-our-universities/813108/214 "2018-05-03T00:44:49Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > So you think it’s wrong but you do it anyway? And you justify this because at least one liberal on this board does the same, which will almost certainly always be the case with hundreds or thousands of members? > > Forgive me for ever believing you might be interested in reasonable discussion and exchange of ideas, rather than mass insults of those who disagree with you. We used to have reasonable discussions, but I guess that isn’t on the table anymore. It’s an issue of reward vs. effort. Who here is the audience? If it were a personal discussion that only involved the two of us then I’d agree that the lack of nuance would be counterproductive. But in this particular environment it’s important to point out the intellectual hypocrisy from the so-called liberal left. I don’t expect right wing fundamentalists or any fundamentalists for that matter to be classically liberal with regards to fundamental human liberties. But I do expect those who profess to be pro freedom to be pro freedom. Instead we have nutty concepts like cultural appropriation, speech codes, safe zones etc being largely promoted by those who align themselves with the left. Finally, many on this board do demonstrate expectations of a double standard for language on this board. You get on those who broad brush the right and then you can complain about broad brushing the left. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2018, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-correctness-in-our-universities/813108/215 "2018-05-03T00:51:25Z")
> [@octopus](#): > > You get on those who broad brush the right and then you can complain about broad brushing the left. Pay attention. He, and I, both do. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2018, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-correctness-in-our-universities/813108/216 "2018-05-03T00:59:25Z")
> [@octopus](#): > > It’s an issue of reward vs. effort. Who here is the audience? If it were a personal discussion that only involved the two of us then I’d agree that the lack of nuance would be counterproductive. But in this particular environment it’s important to point out the intellectual hypocrisy from the so-called liberal left. > > I don’t expect right wing fundamentalists or any fundamentalists for that matter to be classically liberal with regards to fundamental human liberties. But I do expect those who profess to be pro freedom to be pro freedom. Instead we have nutty concepts like cultural appropriation, speech codes, safe zones etc being largely promoted by those who align themselves with the left. > > Finally, many on this board do demonstrate expectations of a double standard for language on this board. You get on those who broad brush the right and then you can complain about broad brushing the left. I’ve criticized broad brushing on both sides many times in this board. As fur cultural appropriation, speech codes, safe spaces, trigger warnings, and the like, those are interesting topics, but impossible to discuss if you insist that your definition is the accurate one, and the one by proponents of those concepts is wrong. Just as an example, safe spaces are good IMO so that trauma victims (say, someone who was raped three weeks ago but is now trying to make the first tentative steps outside their apartment) can have places that the chances of being retraumatized are minimized so they can try to reestablish a normal life. That’s contrary to the definition of safe spaces I often hear from critics. All those concepts can be reasonably discussed, and maybe you’d learn something (maybe I would too), but not if you insist on mass slander and insults. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2018, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-correctness-in-our-universities/813108/217 "2018-05-03T01:10:15Z")
> [@octopus](#): > > Even if you want to get into escalating violence bystanders might not want to be collateral damage. > > Furthermore, what the left really wants is the power that comes with the mob’s response to the label. > > Just like labeling a person you don’t like a Nazi gives you ‘license’ to punch that person, labeling someone witch means you can burn them to death, blasphemer you can jihadify them, heretic toss them in something unpleasant. Don’t even need to debate any merits, just label and punish. > > That’s the history you all conveniently forget. The “Left” wasn’t burning witches and heretics. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2018, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-correctness-in-our-universities/813108/218 "2018-05-03T01:44:36Z")
Look, it’s undeniable that leftists have done some horrific things in the past. Folks should stand up against doing horrific things, not against partisan sides. But in the modern US, standing up against doing horrific things coincidentally means standing up against people who ally themselves with the leader of the Republican party. Bothsidesism is a pernicious abdication of responsibility in favor of rank partisanship. ---
**Author:** ![octopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/octopus/32/3716_2.png) [@octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octopus)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2018, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-correctness-in-our-universities/813108/219 "2018-05-03T02:47:09Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > The “Left” wasn’t burning witches and heretics. I didn’t say they did. I said they are exploiting the same emotional manipulation tool that evil folks of the past and present have used. That is, to repeat myself, inventing a punishment to be used against those who fit a certain label then shrieking that label repeatedly at those they wish to ostracize or otherwise harm. In some ways, the rule writers at SDMB recognize and have codified, imperfectly, mitigation against this very phenomenon. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2018, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-correctness-in-our-universities/813108/220 "2018-05-03T02:53:04Z")
> [@octopus](#): > > I didn’t say they did. I said they are exploiting the same emotional manipulation tool that evil folks of the past and present have used. That is, to repeat myself, inventing a punishment to be used against those who fit a certain label then shrieking that label repeatedly at those they wish to ostracize or otherwise harm. > > In some ways, the rule writers at SDMB recognize and have codified, imperfectly, mitigation against this very phenomenon. Would you care to share a few actual examples of this behaviour please ? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-correctness-in-our-universities/813108.md?page=10) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-correctness-in-our-universities/813108.md?page=12)