OXFORD UNIVERSITY JUST HIRED ITS FIRST FEMALE CHANCELLOR.
SHE HAD SOME STRONG WORDS FOR STUDENTS WHO ARE PROTESTING
ABOUT THINGS THEY ARE SENSITIVE ABOUT.
SHE IS TALKING ABOUT THOSE WHO WANT TO RUN CERTAIN
SPEAKERS OFF-CAMPUS BECAUSE THEY DISAGREE WITH THEM.
I THINK HER STATEMENTS ARE STRONG AND IMPORTANT.
LET ME READ THEM TO YOU.
THEY HAVE REMOVED A PLAQUE OF SOMEONE NAMED CECIL RHODES
WHO IS A BRITISH COLONIALIST THAT THEY FEEL IS NOT AN
ACCURATE REPRESENTATION OF THEIR UNIVERSITY.
THERE IS ALSO A MONUMENT OR STATUE THAT IS DEDICATED TO
HIM AND STUDENTS WANT THEM TO TAKE IT DOWN.
ELLIOTT, WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THAT?
>> CECIL RHODES HAS A LONG HISTORY WITH APARTHEID.
I WENT TO OXFORD.
WE HAD A SPEAKER THAT CAME TO OUR HISTORY SOCIETY NAMED
DAVID IRVING, AND HE IS A HOLOCAUST DENIER.
HE WAS INVITED BY ONE OF THE OTHER STUDENTS THAT I WAS
READING HISTORY WITH.
MY TUTORS DECLINED TO ATTEND.
WE WENT AND LISTENED TO HIM AND HIS VIEWS AND IT WAS PRETTY
TOXIC.
HE STAYED OVERNIGHT IN THE COLLEGE AND I WAS CHOSEN TO
HAVE BREAKFAST WITH HIM THE NEXT MORNING.
IT WAS A VERY TENSE BREAKFAST.
IT WAS NOT FUN.
>> MAYBE HE DENIES THAT HAPPENED?
THAT BREAKFAST NEVER TOOK PLACE.
>> THIS WAS IN THE DAYS BEFORE TRIGGER WARNINGS OR SAFE SPACES.
MY VIEW IS THIS, INSTITUTIONS THEMSELVES NEED TO BE SAFE
ENVIRONMENTS.
I THINK THE CORRIDOR'S NEED TO BE SAFE.
PEOPLE NEED TO BE ABLE TO WALK THROUGH CAMPUS IN A
SAFE WAY, EMOTIONALLY, AND INTELLECTUALLY.
BUT MY PERSONAL VIEWS, I THINK THERE ALSO NEEDS TO BE
DANGEROUS SPACES INSIDE THE CLASSROOM.
YOU NEED TO CHALLENGE IDEAS AND IF YOU CAN'T DO THAT ANY
UNIVERSITY, WHEN CAN YOU DO IT?
THERE ARE VERY FEW OPPORTUNITIES YOU GET.
YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO BE OFFENDED, AND I HAVE THE
RIGHT TO OFFEND YOU.
SO, I THINK IT IS CRITICAL.
I THINK WE ARE IN THE POSITION WHERE IF WE ARE NOT CAREFUL
WE'RE GOING TO CREATE THE NEXT GENERATION OF STUDENTS, OF
ACTIVE MINDS WHO YOU JUST CAN'T OFFEND.
THEIR EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE TRUMPS EVERYTHING.
BECAUSE I AM OFFENDED BY WHAT YOU ARE SAYING ñ
LET'S TAKE AN EXAMPLE, VERY OFTEN THE DISCUSSION IS
ABOUT SEXUAL ASSAULT.
IF I AM THE VICTIM OF A SEXUAL ASSAULT, YOU CAN'T TALK
ABOUT ANOTHER PERSON BECAUSE IT MAKES ME HAVE A REALLY BAD
EXPERIENCE.
OF COURSE, YOU HAVE SENSITIVITY, BUT AT THE SAME TIME IT
MEANS THAT EMOTIONAL REASONING TRUMPS EVERYTHING ELSE.
THE WAY YOU FEEL MEANS THAT THAT IS OBJECTIVELY THE CORRECT
WAY TO VIEW THE SITUATION.
IT TAKES NO ACCOUNT OF INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY
OR SAYING THINGS IN A WIDER VIEW.
ASIDE FROM A PERSONAL PREJUDICE I THINK IT IS DAMAGING
BECAUSE IT DOES ALLOW PEOPLE ñ THE WORLD ATE LIKE THAT.
>>I FEEL LIKE WHEN YOU ARE A COLLEGE STUDENT YOUR MIND
IS MORE MALLEABLE.
YOU DON'T
KNOW IT ALL.
>> [VIDEO BUFFERING]
>> IF YOU ARE OPEN-MINDED ENOUGH YOU CAN CONSIDER THAT POINT
OF VIEW, AND MAYBE IT WILL CHANGE YOUR MIND.
THAT HAS CERTAINLY HAPPENED TO ME ON VARIOUS ISSUES WHETHER
IT IS GAY MARRIAGE, WHICH I USED TO BE AGAINST, OR PROSTITUTION.
I HAD A LOT OF HEATED DEBATES
WITH CENK ON THOSE ISSUES.
IT HELPED ME GROW.
I WANT THAT TO CONTINUE HAPPENING ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES.
I DON'T WANT TO SHUT DOWN DIALOGUE ABOUT IMPORTANT ISSUES.
>> OTHERWISE WHY ARE WE HERE?
FOR PERSONAL GROWTH, RIGHT?
>>EXACTLY.
>> OTHERWISE WE ARE STAGNANT.
>> I'M NOT HERE FOR THE MONEY.
>> LIVING UNDER THE TYRANNY OF POLITICAL CORRECTNESS AND
THE "I AM SPECIAL" CULTURE WHERE WE ALL TIPTOE AROUND EACH
OTHER, IS BORING AS SHIT.
THAT IS THE BOTTOM LINE.
>> CAN YOU NOT SAY SHIT?
IT KIND OF BOTHERS ME.
>> THAT IS MY POINT.
NOBODY TELLS ME WHAT TO SAY HERE.
PEOPLE CAN GET ON TWITTER AND YELL AT ME FOR WHATEVER
INSENSITIVE COMMENT I DROPPED, OR WHATEVER IT IS, AND IT
IS SO IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT HELPS YOU GROW.
GROWING UP IN THE SOUTH AS A LIBERAL VEGETARIAN, JEWISH GIRL
WAS OBVIOUSLY OUT OF THE NORM.
I WAS CHALLENGED ABOUT WHAT I BELIEVE
AND WHAT I DID.
I HAD TO DEFEND MY VIEWS.
I'M GLAD I HAD THAT EXPERIENCE.
BUT DOGMAS ARE DANGEROUS WHICH IS WHY HAVING DANGEROUS
SPACES IN WHICH TO DEBATE IS SO IMPORTANT.
THE MINUTE YOU ARE IMMOVABLE ON WHAT YOU THINK IS WHEN YOU
BASICALLY INTELLECTUALLY DIE.
>> DANGEROUS SPACES, THAT IS A GOOD THING.
I AM GOING TO STEAL THAT.
I'M ALWAYS NERVOUS.
I USED TO HAVE A BUNCH OF BACKWARD IDEAS AS WELL.
I HAVE GROWN.
I MADE FUN OF TRIGGER WARNINGS ON THE SHOW, THEN SOMEONE
TWEETED AT ME ABOUT WHAT THEY ARE.
I STILL DON'T KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS.
I DO GROW.
I USED TO MAKE JOKES ABOUT TRANSGENDERED PEOPLE, I
DON'T DO THAT ANYMORE.
I REALIZE THAT IS WRONG.
I HAVE GROWN THAT WAY.
I MAKE FUN OF TRIGGER WARNINGS, SO NOW I AGREE WITH
EVERYTHING WE HAVE SAID.
>> YEAH, WE CAN'T ALL BE BOLD PEOPLE.
>> THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT IF YOU TALK TO COGNITIVE
BEHAVIORAL THERAPISTS, I DON'T HAVE THE FACILITY TO TAKE
CARE OF MY ISSUES, SO I AM PUTTING THAT ON YOU.
BUT SAY YOU ARE THE VICTIM OF A SEXUAL ASSAULT.
SOME PEOPLE ARE CALLING ñ I DON'T WANT TO BE TAUGHT THE
RAPE LAW BECAUSE IT IS A TRIGGER WARNING.
THE REASON WHY PEOPLE PUSH BACK AGAINST THAT IS BECAUSE IT
IS SAYING YOU CAN'T DEAL WITH YOUR OWN ISSUES.
YOU WILL MAKE EVERYBODY ELSE DANCE TO YOUR TUNE.
THAT IS THE BOTTOM LINE.
IT IS ABOUT KNOWING YOUR RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR OWN
ISSUES.
>>LIFE IS TOUGH, MAN.
YOU COME ACROSS SO MANY TERRIBLE PEOPLE AND SITUATIONS.
YOU HAVE YOUR DAYS WHERE IT IS TOUGH TO JUST GET OUT OF
BED BECAUSE YOU ARE SO EMOTIONALLY DISTRAUGHT.
BUT THAT IS LIFE.
THERE IS NOTHING THAT'S GOING TO PROTECT YOU FROM THAT IN
THE REAL WORLD.
IF YOU ARE EXPECTING COLLEGE TO PROTECT YOU, THEN COLLEGE
WILL DEFEAT ITS OWN PURPOSE OF PREPARING YOU FOR THE REAL
WORLD.