Are men's rights and white pride legitimate causes, or are people
just losing sight of who has really held power throughout human history? Are some opinions too toxic to be given
platforms by social media sites or by universities? Are protests against ostensibly offensive
speakers and the organisations that host them another form of free speech or is
this a form of censorship? Do safe
spaces increase polarisation or help even the odds for vulnerable groups?
With rights come responsibilities and in the case of the right to freedom of speech and expression, it should apply twofold. People are oftentimes not aware of the consequences of the presentation of their own opinions and they misuse this right as a chance to express their viewpoints without any further costs. If people would be allowed to say and spread whatever thought they have on their mind without any responsibility behind it, our world would end up in chaos caused by a tremendous mixture of different theories and beliefs. Therefore, there are some limitations to freedom of speech which regulate our opinions towards certain problems. For instance, a lot of countries in Europe have laws against Holocaust denial, including Slovakia.
ReplyDeleteThe concept of a safe space is an amazing opportunity for unfairly oppressed minorities to utilize their rights, but for many others, it’s just a way to avoid responsibilities coming with them. The responsibility for the power of an opinion’s influence is ignored since freedom of expression is a right and every disagreement means a violation of that right. This selfish behavior, not considering the impact of the presentation of thoughts, keeps people in a cycle without any positive outcome. Moreover, refusing to tolerate other aspects of problems - this close-minded attitude - weakens people’s ability to confront the real world. For illustration, the intentions of ‘Melbourne University’s women’s space, which prohibits “transphobia, racism, ableism, classism, fatphobia and misogyny” may be meant for the good of society, however, on the other hand, the safe space doesn’t solve those issues. In real life, these women would be forced to encounter their opponents and discuss problems from both points of view, pushing them out of their comfort zone.
That’s what a safe space provides: your comfort zone, your own bubble where you are protected from outside interference. It can be compared to social media where algorithms create the environment which pleases your taste and mindset. You can choose and add only friends who share your opinions, like or follow only the profiles/ pages which correspond with your theories and you are surrounded just by the recommended videos, articles and ads that satisfy you. You indulge in feeling safe like in mom’s embrace with no chance of anyone’s interruption. Fry’s words described it perfectly – ‘as a part of modern society’s “deep infantilism”’.