The current problem on (mainly*) American campuses regarding offensiveness is given a going over again at the Atlantic:
Why It's a Bad Idea to Tell Students Words Are Violence,
and it puts up a very good argument.
The only misgiving I have about this issue is that I hate the way that the Wingnut Right takes a bad argument by the too-precious-for-reality Left as justification for complete incivility in debate, and for genuinely offensive claims to be made - it's like the opposite of a virtuous circle. (Which I see Google says is a "vicious circle/cycle.")
* you could say that the recent silliness of the QUT case is an illustration of the same disease, but at least we rarely have riots here of the kind you see in the US over controversial speakers on campuses.
The "safe places" issue in USA has become ridiculous. The same with the idea that students must be forewarned of potentially upsetting ideas being put forward during a lecture. That is Leftism gone stupid. The Left seems to be more interested in those types of feel good social issues than dealing directly with the deeper problems confronting society. Not that surprising given so many on the Left have risen to elite status and hence reluctant to attack the status quo.
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