OXFORD
UNIVERSITY IS NOW ALLOWING SOME STUDENTS THAT ARE STUDYING
CRIMINAL JUSTICE TO OPT OUT OF CERTAIN CLASSES IF THERE
ARE TOPICS DISCUSSED THAT MIGHT TRIGGER THEM IN ANY WAY.
THIS IS A TREND WE ARE SEEING ON CAMPUSES, IT'S UNFORTUNATE
THAT IT IS SPREADING TO OTHER COUNTRIES.
IT CERTAINLY MEANS THAT THEY CAN LEAVE THE ROOM IF THE
CONTENT WILL BE TOO DISTRESSING.
THE PROFESSORS ARE UNDERSTANDABLY IRRITATED
ABOUT THIS WHOLE SITUATION.
I'M IRRITATED ABOUT THIS WHOLE SITUATION.
IF YOU WANT TO BE A LAWYER, YOU MIGHT HAVE TO DEAL WITH
CASES INVOLVING RAPE OR CASES THAT MAKE YOU UNCOMFORTABLE.
THAT IS WHAT LIFE IS ABOUT.
>> FIRST, I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE WHY
THEY DO IT IN THE FIRST PLACE.
IT'S NOT OUT OF NOWHERE.
IT'S EASY FOR ME TO SAY[ VIDEO
BUFFERING]
>>I DON'T THINK ANYONE SHOULD BE EXCUSED OR GIVEN A PASS
BECAUSE THEY FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE ABOUT THE MATERIAL BEING TAUGHT.
I THINK IT IS UNFAIR TO OTHER STUDENTS.
YOU ARE PUTTING YOURSELF IN THAT POSITION.
YOU ARE GOING TO DEAL WITH A LOT OF CHALLENGES AND THAT'S LIFE.
IF YOU CAN JUST BOW OUT, THAT SETS A BAD PRECEDENT FOR
THE REST OF THEIR LIVES.
>> THAT'S WHY I TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU.
YOU CAN SAY HEY GUYS, HEADS UP THERE IS THE N-WORD IN HERE.
BUT YOU CAN'T LEAVE BECAUSE YOU ARE OFFENDED BY THAT.
WE'RE GOING TO READ MARK TWAIN, OR HUCKLEBERRY FINN.
YEAH, THEY USE THE N-WORD.
LET'S HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT IT.
WHEN MARK TWAIN WRITES HUCKLEBERRY FINN THAT DOES
NOT MAKE MARK TWAIN A RACIST.
BUT YOU DON'T GET TO SAY NO, HUCKLEBERRY FINN HAS THE
N-WORD, I AM OPTING OUT.
THAT IS NOT HOW EDUCATION WORKS.
>> MORE IMPORTANTLY, I ACTUALLY REALLY CARE ABOUT STUDENTS AND
THEIR EDUCATION WHICH IS WHY I FEEL SO PASSIONATELY ABOUT THIS.
I DON'T WANT THEM TO HAVE THE WRONG PERSPECTIVE ON LIFE.
I THINK A COLLEGE CAMPUS IS JUST A MICROCOSM OF LIFE.
ONCE YOU GRADUATE THERE ARE NO FREE PASSES.
MOST PEOPLE ARE NOT COMPASSIONATE.
MOST PEOPLE ARE DICKS.
IT'S TRUE.
IF YOU ARE BEING DEALT WITH PROFESSORS WALKING ON
EGGSHELLS AROUND YOU, YOU ARE IN FOR A RUDE AWAKENING ONCE
YOU GRADUATE.
THE REAL WORLD IS 10 TIMES HARSHER THAN COLLEGE.
>>WE MAY HAVE A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE ON THAT BECAUSE
THERE ARE
SO
MANY POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE COMMENTS ABOUT US,
SO WE SEE THE FULL BRUNT
OF EVERYTHING.
WITHOUT GETTING INTO THIS DISCUSSION, LET'S
ACKNOWLEDGE IT IS A TOUGH WORLD.
DON'T GET ME WRONG, I FUNDAMENTALLY AGREE WITH
YOU, BUT AT THE SAME TIME I DO WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND THAT
YOU WILL BE CONFRONTED BY MANY THINGS IN THE WORLD.
SOME WILL BE UNPLEASANT, AND YOU HAVE TO BE READY FOR THAT.
PART OF WHAT MAKES YOU READY FOR IT IS A COLLEGE EDUCATION
THAT EXPOSES YOU TO ALL OF THESE THINGS SO THAT YOU ARE
READY FOR THE WORLD ONCE YOU GRADUATE.
>>I JUST WANT TO ADD ONE THING, KEEP IN MIND THE WESTBORO
BAPTIST CHURCH WOULD GO TO THE FUNERALS OF FALLEN SOLDIERS AND
REFERRED TO THEM AS GAY SLURS AND ALL THESE TERRIBLE THINGS.
THAT IS JUST ONE EXTREME EXAMPLE OF THE TYPE OF CRAP PEOPLE
IN THIS WORLD HAVE TO DEAL WITH.
I WANT TO PREPARE STUDENTS FOR WHAT THE REAL WORLD IS LIKE.
>> YOU SAID SOMETHING THAT I AM SURPRISED WE HAVEN'T TALKED
ABOUT BEFORE, THESE ARE STUDENTS, HAVE THEY BEEN ON
THE INTERNET?
THE ANSWER IS OF COURSE.
SO WHY DO YOU NEED A TRIGGER WARNING AT OXFORD WHEN YOU
DON'T NEED A TRIGGER WARNING ON THE INTERNET.
YOU HAVE SEEN SOME DEEPLY FELT UP STUFF ON THE INTERNET IF
YOU ARE ALIVE.
I DON'T GET IT, WHY ARE THE STUDENTS ALL OF A SUDDEN
WANTING A TRIGGER WARNING?
>> I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
AGAIN, WE NEED TO PREP STUDENTS FOR THE REAL WORLD MORE
THAN ANYTHING.