Tell me this isn't frightening.

When I was a kid in the 60's, I feared immediate flaming nuclear death from Russian missiles. I think this is worse.

http://news.nationalpost.com/full-comment/christie-blatchford-b-c-teacher-fired-for-having-the-wrong-opinion

I'm so triggered by the article...

The future is not looking very promising for anybody with an opinion in BC.

It isn't frightening.

Well, you asked.

Besides, you are a man. At a guess, you are a white, hetrosexual, man. Any opinion you have is automatically wrong.

I tried to see if Snopes had anything. Nothing.

There is no way to confirm or discount this story. Neither the teacher nor the school are named.

Are there any right leaning private schools in BC? If so, he'll have a job again soon enough.

BTW, this whole trigger word stuff has got to be the stupidest thing I've ever seen. Like so stupid that when I hear about it I don't believe that it's a real news story. It sounds like a forgotten Monty Python bit.

Idiocracy is real, and coming ahead of schedule.

If this weren't at a private school it might be concerning.
It's not even in my country.
Stupid, yes. Concerning? No.

Pretty vague story. They don't identify the teacher, or the school, or the city where the school is located.

I wonder if this is another one of those fake news stories we are hearing about these days.

In reply to stuart in mn:

Possible, but a well crafted one if it is.

Is The National Post a credible organization? Are there any credible news organizations these days?

National Post is a major Canadian newspaper, and Blatchford has been writing columns for decades.

They lean right, but its a Canadian right.

HappyAndy wrote: In reply to stuart in mn: Possible, but a well crafted one if it is. Is The National Post a credible organization?

It's essentially Canadian Fox News. So no.

Nope. The looming spectre of nuclear annihilation was worse. (A child of Reagan's 80s)

It appears to be not much more than an opinion column, but it does raise a valid point. In the real world, there aren't any safe spaces or trigger warnings, so why are such things encouraged in schools? If something offends you, you have every right to be offended, but you really shouldn't be able to censor free thought or speech. By censoring or attempting to censor such things, the individuals responsible may be making their lives safer and happier, but it can have a very negative impact on others and is dangerous to the general public. At some point, we have to draw a line in the sand.

G_Body_Man wrote: It appears to be not much more than an opinion column, but it does raise a valid point. In the real world, there aren't any safe spaces or trigger warnings, so why are such things encouraged in schools? If something offends you, you have every right to be offended, but you really shouldn't be able to censor free thought or speech. By censoring or attempting to censor such things, the individuals responsible may be making their lives safer and happier, but it can have a very negative impact on others and is dangerous to the general public. At some point, we have to draw a line in the sand.

That point would be the very beginning of the sand. No censorship can be tolerated. You actually have no "right to be offended" but I do have the right to offend you. The attacks on the media and the things people can say that are becoming increasingly popular lately are a harbinger of being afraid to say things. All kinds of things. Things like this even.

Support your constitution! (not just the parts you like)

In reply to Huckleberry:

Ehh, I would say they have an unwritten right to be offended, just like they's have the right to be sad if they missed their bus or whatever. Being offended is just a feeling, and it doesn't look like anyone has taken away the unwritten right to human emotion.

In terms of censorship, I agree. Nobody should be able to censor free thought or speech.

I am a public school teacher in BC. (teacher in the article is/was from a private school)

I usually preface my opinions with "I am opinionated, and my opinions are neither that of this school, this school district, the ministry of education, or the province of British Columbia. They are just my opinions."

The entire education system makes a whole lot more sense when you are willing to suspend logic and reason.

If and when I get canned for voicing my opinion, my tool box has wheels. I even (shock) give a failing grade to a kid who does nothing. Admin took a kids failing grade last year, added it to the same failing grade the year before, and called it a pass so kid could graduate. I haven't been fired yet, but it may be on the horizon.

I did look up the National Post, they more than Lean Right. Without real facts I would not accept this as a true article, no matter who wrote it, coming from a group that seems to love to rag on the upcoming generation, I give it near zero credibility.

My own cousin, who is so far right he is almost left, seems to enjoy sharing articles on FB that makes fun of the kids in college. I would tell him to shove it and unfriend him, but I love his kids.

HappyAndy wrote: Are there any right leaning private schools in BC? If so, he'll have a job again soon enough. BTW, this whole trigger word stuff has got to be the stupidest thing I've ever seen. Like so stupid that when I hear about it I don't believe that it's a real news story. It sounds like a forgotten Monty Python bit. Idiocracy is real, and coming ahead of schedule.

Would you say that it all makes you feel....

Triggered?

In reply to novaderrik:

No, but this morning my wife's St Bernard made me feel Tiggered.I didn't like it, not one little bit.

Doesn't frighten me one bit, if you're not in an ultra-expensive ultra-liberal private school, you're completely safe, and I'm about as safe from that as possible

Also, try getting a job as a teacher in a private Catholic school and telling the students, "Personally, I worship Satan" and see what happens.

All this "triggering" and "safe space" stuff is just a symptom of an increasingly partisan world. People on the right do the same thing, but it's not as noticeable because they haven't made a "system" out of it with special terminology. For example, Trump's complaint about the message from the Hamilton cast? He was "triggered" and wanted the theater to be a "safe space."

It's getting worse. Local university blocking "free speech" except for select areas of campus http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2016/12/gvsu_restricts_free_speech_thr.html

No, it's not even 0.1% as scary as having grown up with America, Britain, France and Russia pointing nukes at each other. Someone getting unfairly fired Vs the threat of total global destruction should not even be considered in the same thread. You want to talk scary, talk terrorist non states getting dirty bombs, then we can talk.

I don't know the law in Canada, but here in the US or UK a decent lawyer would have a nice fat settlement for wrongful dismissal in no time.

For the record I'm 100% Pro-choicer who gives money to planned parenthood and any pro choice organization that comes my way (reminds me, their letter is on my desk, I'll take care of my donation next). But I 100% think think the teacher shouldn't have been fired.

Huckleberry wrote:

G_Body_Man wrote: It appears to be not much more than an opinion column, but it does raise a valid point. In the real world, there aren't any safe spaces or trigger warnings, so why are such things encouraged in schools? If something offends you, you have every right to be offended, but you really shouldn't be able to censor free thought or speech. By censoring or attempting to censor such things, the individuals responsible may be making their lives safer and happier, but it can have a very negative impact on others and is dangerous to the general public. At some point, we have to draw a line in the sand.

That point would be the very beginning of the sand. No censorship can be tolerated. You actually have no "right to be offended" but I do have the right to offend you. The attacks on the media and the things people can say that are becoming increasingly popular lately are a harbinger of being afraid to say things. All kinds of things. Things like this even. Support your constitution! (not just the parts you like)

Of course there are limits to free speech. My right to speak freely ends when it can cause real harm to innocent people. It is a crime to shout "fire" in a crowded theater, to commit journalistic slander, to commit perjury under oath, or to make demonstrably false claims in advertising.

You may not believe in many limitations beyond the sort above, but those are limits to how freely you can speak.

WTF does "triggered" even mean?

I can't wait for these pansy kids to enter the workforce. They'll be chewed up and spit out.

Sky_Render wrote: WTF does "triggered" even mean?

Miata's are horrible cars!

Auto racing is pointless and should be banned!

People should not be allowed to maintain or modify their own vehicles!

Beer Baron wrote:

Huckleberry wrote:

G_Body_Man wrote: By censoring or attempting to censor such things, the individuals responsible may be making their lives safer and happier, but it can have a very negative impact on others and is dangerous to the general public. At some point, we have to draw a line in the sand.

That point would be the very beginning of the sand. No censorship can be tolerated. Support your constitution! (not just the parts you like)

Of course there are limits to free speech. My right to speak freely ends when it can cause real harm to innocent people. It is a crime to shout "fire" in a crowded theater, to commit journalistic slander, to commit perjury under oath, or to make demonstrably false claims in advertising.

This teacher getting fired for saying what he did is ridiculous, there isn't any denying that.

That being said, people blatantly lying, or worse, trying to pawn off lies as fact is just as dangerous as trying to censor those lies. We've got a lot of people in positions of trust in our country spewing BS, whether that's teachers, journalists, or Presi....Politicans, all them should be held accountable for inciting violence with those claims.

Just as people these days are becoming more and more sensitive (ie "triggered") people are also getting fired up about things that aren't even true, like threatening people with violence because they believe their cause is fake. When you spread misinformation and worse yet, advocate to take up arms to defend that misinformation, you shouldn't be protected from the law crying "censorship".

It's one thing to say "the earth is flat" its another to say "all the round earthers need to die! Take up arms, Flat Earthers and fight the Round Earth World Order!"