Trigger Warning "Snowflakes"

Trigger warning; you are not going to like this.

Lets talk about the “snowflakes who require trigger warnings”.

First I’m all for trigger warnings. Not because I am, or I think others are, delicate snowflakes. Quite the opposite. Anyone who knows me knows I am liable to bring up “Taboo topics” at any time. While discussing puppies at a beach, I may interject with a humorous(?) remark about abortion, Religion, Race, or any other thing that crosses my mind. And I don’t think I should be required to wear a t-shirt with “CAUTION, TRIGGER WARNINGS” emblazoned on the front. BUT... And you knew there was a but;

That’s not what trigger warnings are about. Let me explain why trigger warnings are a good idea.

I’ve known people who have suicided. And can clearly recall the emotional and mental state that myself and others were in during the aftermath. So when a coworker of mine was going through a suicide death in her family I made a note not to make comments or jokes around the subject. At least for a while. Because I’m not that kind of an ass-hole. At that point in time my coworker probably didn't have the emotional energy to discuss, dismiss, or otherwise deal with my general lack of couth.

In schools as the profs cant alter their entire curriculum or know the details of all the students lives, maybe a Trigger Warning sign is just the polite thing to do.

But manners be dammed, there is a better reason. I remember being in a class where I was paying over $700 to occupy my seat. I would participate in the discussions because that's a lot of money to me and I wanted to get as much value out of the course as I could.

One such discussion had another student get up and leave the room crying. I don’t remember the rest of the class. As we continued with a tinge of guilt, in slightly hushed tones. The first part of the following lecture in that class was taken up with the prof having to announce some disclaimer. In essence I lost 3 hours of a 40-hr course. About $52.00 of the class I paid for.

Do I think a class about criminal justice should avoid talking about rape? Of course not. But should someone who was raped the night before have to sit through a class discussing rape the next morning? No, I think that he or she should be able to see the “Trigger Warning: Sexual assault discussion”, sign and be able to make the decision to go over the class notes at a later date.

Now I know the argument that there are no trigger warnings in real life.

2 things: First, what makes you think university is not real life. I bet being raped feels pretty real to the astonishing high number of students who are raped on campuses.

Second; In real life, my advice to my coworker was to use any sick or vacation time she had, and go home and grieve. To come back to work once she was able to. Not because she is a “delicate snowflake”, but because she is strong and our team followed her emotional cues.

If you have not had an issue that was so bad that it hijacked your thoughts and interfered with your daily actions, be thankful. Even the strongest of us need down time, and there is no shame in recognizing you cant deal with some things today.

And to all my friends who are thinking, “Sinn, I cant deal with YOUR shit today!”, I reply, “I hope you will call me tomorrow then”. :)

This was going to be one point in a reply to the “Attack on Free Speech” narrative that is going around. But due to its length I think I’ll let it stand as is.  

Also, I so would wear a t-shirt with “CAUTION, TRIGGER WARNINGS” emblazoned on the front. if someone made me one.- XXL if your wondering 

Sinn Says Some- a response to the Republican mass shooting

If you are going to push people to their braking point, Don’t be so fucking alarmed when they break.

I am not condoning the actions and I want to be really clear here; IT’S NOT OK TO KILL...

But; and you knew there was a “But” coming; lets just take a moment and look in to the recent Republican Mass Shooting.

No lets not wade in the “Gun Control” debate. As its been said and will continue to be said after each Mass Shooting.

Ok so the Gun-man asked if the baseball players were Republicans and after they stated affirmative, he opened fire. So this is clearly a politically motivated crime. I understand that the victims families lost people they loved. People who cared for their family, had senses of humour, and filled many roles and places in the hearts of those nearest to them. The loss of such people is a travesty.

The gun man however wasn't killing 3 dimensional people; wasn’t aiming to leave a hole in the lives of the victims families; wasn't lashing out at fathers, husbands and family members. He was instead killing “Republicans”.

People who have passed laws that will remove health care coverage for thousands; people who cut taxes on the extremely wealthy so that programs and government services will no longer have funding.

Now these congress men were not aiming to have single mothers pushed further in to despair; Not focusing on leaving holes in families as loved ones die because they cant afford treatments. No these laws were enacted because in the calculations and ideologies of the current republican congress, it is within the acceptable margins to, well Marginalize certain people.

For those that live in the margins though; this is a daily and consistent attack. When over 60% of your wages go to rent, and then the food and utilities continue to rise in price, you don't get to go home at the end of the day and forget about it. You don't get to spend your evenings golfing and considering other topics. No; you stay awake at night worrying and worry as you go to work lacking sleep and worry as you bus home and make supper.

Just as a child who is picked on at school everyday, spends over 50% of his life choking back tears, marginalized adults, spend the bulk of their lives being affected by those who marginalize them.

So lets look at this through the cold “realist” school of thought.

As the middle class shrinks, more and more people are pushed in to the margins. The political agreement of obeying societal laws in exchange for the benefits of living in the society becomes a less and less desirable arrangement.  When some of your dreams are attainable and your life offers you the luxury of being able to relax occasionally, the exchange for obeying the social norms seems like a good deal. But when there is little to no chance of improvement, there is little to no benefits to maintaining the social order. In prisons they know this and that's why they offer programs and events. Its the carrot to keep the majority in line.

No one joins the Taliban because they are close to a promotion, their bills are paid and after their retirement savings they have enough left over to go on vacation. No the radicalized are the marginalized.

As a realist, the rich don't pay taxes because it is the moral thing to do, they pay up because it is in their own best interest to appease the peasants. It is in their best interest to keep the machine that keeps them rich well lubricated.

Again I want to reiterate; IT’S NOT OK TO KILL! But when the picked on kid brings a gun to class its not hard to understand the “WHY?”.

If you are going to push people to their braking point, Don’t be so fucking alarmed when they break.

-Things I wanted to say but didn't make it in to the main monologue, 

1) In the last USA election , both Trump and Bernie supporters were largely people who felt "traditional government" was not considering their interests. Or in a word - "Marginalized". 

2) Society is like a game of Red-Rover, you win when everyone is included in on the same team.

3) Google defines ‘terrorism’ as: the unlawful use of violence and intimidation, especially against civilians, in the pursuit of political aims.

Does this mean that because the targets were government not civilians, this doesn't count? Or is this “Radical Non-Islamic Terrorism”? - left out because I think it muddies the water, and goes against the “we need to be inclusive and supportive” narrative I was feeling as I wrote... its a shame cause the paragraphs I wrote were super inflammatory and bound to generate some Hate-mail responses.