The United States is home to diverse communities which have different cultures, values, and traditions. In this respect, communication and interaction between and among individuals from diverse groups is delicate. More often than not individuals make statements or gestures which undermine the values and beliefs of others. In such a case, these acts are perceived as insulting thereby creating enmity between and among individuals from diverse communities. Ben Shapiro, a political commentator, discussed the concepts of microaggressions, safe spaces and trigger warnings in terms of how they affect interaction between and among diverse groups.
In a video, Shapiro describes microaggressions as those acts or statements that are subjectively offensive whether they are intended or not. However, his view is that microaggressions are, in themselves, a response to already existing aggression (True Liberty, 2018). For instance, African Americans have and continue to suffer discrimination and prejudice. When an African American makes a statement such as “You get good grades because you are White”, it is a form of microaggression. The statement means that, for instance, Whites have a better chance at attaining high grades compared to students form minority communities. In the video, Shapiro talks about White privilege explaining that it forms the basis on which individuals from minority communities form attitudes or perceptions that are not consistent with the reality that Whites face (True Liberty, 2018). In this case, a White student might actually get good grades because he or she invests in his or her education. It might be that he or she has a poor economic background and therefore does not have access to educational resources, but despite these challenges, he or she is able to attain good grades. Thus, from this example, my view of microaggressions is that they are a consequence of already existing aggression between the White majority and the minority communities. Regardless of which side one represents, he or she is vulnerable to experiencing a microaggression.
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Apart from microaggressions, Shapiro discusses trigger warnings stating that they are statements that are intended to create awareness about sensitive information which might violate the views or values of a particular group (True Liberty, 2018). For instance, during a lecture, an instructor can show a video containing police violence against individuals from minority communities. Before beginning the session, the instructor could warn the students that the video contains disturbing footage of how police officers violate the rights of minorities in the society. I believe trigger warnings are essential in that they prepare an audience about the nature of information they are likely to receive. It allows them to form a defense mechanism which they can use to prevent being offended by the negative content or information given. Shapiro explains that trigger warns are meant to create an equilibrium in the social sphere as they demonstrate consideration for the views and values of others.
Lastly, safes paces are described as places where individuals are free from trigger warnings or microaggressions. Shapiro noted that in safe spaces, individuals do not have to worry about others making statements that are likely to harm them (True Liberty, 2018). Borrowing from his definition, consider an example where members of the African American community can create a club whereby one has to be black in order to be accepted. In such a case, the club is considered a safe space. However, the limitation with safe spaces is that they promote segregation and undermine freedom of speech. Even though institutions of higher learning have environments which they regard as safe spaces, this undermines expression of one’s views, which could be considered as microaggressions. The outcome would be a compromise on the quality of social relationships.
Conclusion
Microaggressions, trigger warnings and safe spaces are the outcome of diversity differences. As long as minority communities believe that Whites are better than them in various things because of White privilege, harmony cannot be achieved in the society. On the other hand, if Whites hold their belief that blacks or members from other minority communities judge them based on the idea of White privilege, they too will form attitudes towards their counterparts. Therefore, the aspects discussed will remain existent until an equilibrium is achieved and issues associated with diversity are eradicated.
Reference
True Liberty. (2018, May 31). Ben Shapiro Debunks Diversity, White Privilege, Trigger Warning, Microaggression and Safespace. [Video File]. Retrieved from www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LpmE0aYVB0.
