Political correctness is stretching into higher and higher levels of absurdity. The latest big bad wolf to dare chomp on the precious consciousness of mankind (and womankind) is . . . college reading material.
"Trigger warnings" are now issued before assigning such radical books as The Great Gatsby (drinking and caterwauling make non-drinkers and non-caterwaulers feel inadequate); Catch 22 (soldiers portrayed as depressed and non-heroic undermine the very sanctity of society), and Dr. Susan Love's Bre__st Book. (For obvious reasons, ooh).
This bothers me. I suppose not to the level of pointing fingers or losing sleep or giving me nightmares or being lawsuit material. It makes me feel like we’re headed toward a reverse Darwinism. Let the weakest, dumbest, most sensitive, least capable humans run the world. (I know some would say that’s already happening.)
Others defend the practice saying that if we’re always attentively attuned to the slightest possibility of offense to anyone at all times, we will become a kinder, gentler nation. Looks pretty good on paper, doesn’t it?
I don’t think so.
There will always be someone willing to push the limit. There will always be someone who, if their current anxiety is acknowledged and stroked and dutifully tsk’ed tsk’ed, will find something even more ludicrous to declare to be offended by. If they’re shredded by hearing a swear word or by reading about a bitchy woman, their next step will be cowering at a walk light that suddenly turns. “I was all ready to go, and BOOM, the light changed. I am so upset and discombobulated and insecure and I’m afraid to take ANOTHER STEP. EVER. What other changes will confront me?!! I shouldn’t have to suffer so.”
I don’t think “trigger warnings” do anything to promote strength, confidence and well-adjustment. If we’re not trying to encourage those fine attributes, what exactly are we encouraging?
