I spoke a bit about hate speech yesterday. I listed a few of the things I actually hate and that took some thinking because truly I don't hate many things. This label "Safe Spaces" is skirting the edge of becoming something I hate. There is really only one reason I can think of that it has not tipped over the edge and become something I hate. There are actually legitimate things we can call safe spaces. They existed without needing signs, needing labels, or people forcing them.
On the other hand these artificially labeled places called "safe spaces" are insidious, and cancerous to society.
What I mentally imagine whenever I see the label "safe space" these days is a picture of the Ostrich with it's head in the sand, a child hiding under the blanket like it confers some form of actual protection, and occasionally I might take it a bit further and picture one of those images people have made of a person with their head up their ass.
Reality just is...
Labeling a place safe does not change reality...
If a person spends their time hiding under the proverbial blanket, sticking their head in the sand, or worse then how are they truly preparing themselves for facing reality.
Life is scary. Life is harsh. Yet life is also beautiful, and often kind.
I've said before that when I talk about my past it is usually big lessons I learned, big adversity I overcame, or possibly another way of putting it is that it is about those accomplishments that were not easy. They came hard, harsh, and with effort and struggle.
The things that came to me easily without effort. I no longer recall those experiences. I don't have stories about the things that happened.
I recall times of fear, and challenge. Overcoming them was important to my life.
Had I been "protected" from those opportunities my life would be rather dull when I look back upon it. I also would remain ignorant about a lot of things reality revealed to me.
Imagination is a wonderous tool. It is a gift. Yet it is important to distinguish between imagination and reality.
If the artist, sculptor, inventor, carpenter, etc. imagines something they might put their hands to creation and bring something into reality.
Yet there are also aspects of imagination being imposed upon people that are not about creation. They are about obedience, authority, and fear.
Fear someone might say something "offensive". Instead of covering our ears or choosing not to be offended... let's make some laws to protect me from my imagination. Let's make some laws that act like blankets to protect me from hearing those words. Let's make some laws to force people to only say things that I find nice and pleasant. It sounds like we are trying to make an easy, and ultimately unmemorable life experience for ourselves.
To me that is idiocy, stupidity, or choose your own label. Feel free to pick one that you find really offensive. I am opening my arms wide to reality. I'll take the blemishes right along with the beauty. That is the adventure. If it is one sided then it isn't much of an adventure.
Here is some rare profanity in one of my posts:
Fuck safe spaces!!!
