Remember bullies? They have existed since the beginning of mankind. They know no race. They know no gender. They can be subtle or they can be malicious. They exist in schools, businesses, churches, and neighbors. They have been portrayed in movies for decades. And as the rise in bullying ran amok in schools, prevention became the mantra.
Until ‘safe spaces’.
When my kids were growing up they frequently were the target of bullies. Why? Because. Bullies target whoever they can and if their victim does nothing, they become their dodge ball victim for life. The solution? Fight back.
Of course, schools were called in to mediate bullies because often it happened on school premises. But the problem was never erased, eradicated, or even smudged, because the school solution didn’t work. Bullying as a core is an inherent reactive learned from one’s parents. Teachers applied bandaids and the bullying evolved into –
Safe spaces.
Today, instead of bullying, we call it “a place intended to be free of bias, conflict, criticism, or potentially threatening actions, ideas, or conversations … student volunteers put up posters advertising that a “safe space” would be available for anyone who found the debate too upsetting.”
For a society bent on tolerance and inclusion, a safe space is literally the extreme opposite. In an article by VOX, a black woman states that she just wants to sometimes be around only other black women because it’s easier and there is no ‘translation’. That used to be called ‘segregation’. But integration changed that. Forced integration of cultures was seen as the State Solution. Everyone just needs to get along. Diversity training arose. While the Liberal mantra continues to assert that demand, voluntary segregation became the reality.
Wealthy people hang out with wealthy people. Military families hang out with other military families. Blacks with blacks, gays with gays, Christians with Christians, etc… Exclusively? Not necessarily. Neighborhoods are the prime example. Chinatown in San Francisco. The Polish community in any given city. The Italian neighborhood in Lakewood. Safe spaces.
And yet, safe spaces is now embraced by most universities, and a spattering of businesses. It has also given rise to a new burgeoning business model whereby evaluation and training are offered – for a price. Workshops are available to teach ‘respectful behavior’. There are “Codes of Cooperation”. The pictures portray happy employees of every diversity sitting together in a boardroom, planting a tree, analyzing reports, etc…
California has made it a law that all companies must have at least one female board member. Diversity.
Starbucks recently came under fire again because a customer stated they felt unsafe when six police officers came in to order coffee. The officers were ejected because of the ‘one’ complaint. Safe Spaces.
Nike nixed a shoe that they likely spent millions to create because Colin Kaepernick said it offended him. A shoe offended him and thus Nike’s CEO scrapped the product line to the detriment of their shareholders. Segregation.
Diversity: by definition means the inclusion of different types of people having differing elements and/or qualities. But safe spaces means – exclusion.
Within this hypocrisy, a business can’t win. Lawsuits have become a cost factor that ‘trickles down’ to the product cost. And the ultimate loser is the consumer. So businesses play the racket and hire diversity experts, provide training workshops, and document with fear lest they miss a box on the new 20 page HR requirements manual.
But it isn’t enough because those that demand diversity, also demand workplace segregation in the form of safe places. The absurdity is laughable when one considers that might mean a separate safe place for each group; women, gays, transgenders, liberals, binary, Hispanic, black, Muslim, Asian, etc… , ultimately transforming an office environment into a clone of complete isolation.
As Google and Amazon attempt to build business cities to accommodate their employees, it will be interesting to see how they create safe spaces for all the diverse diversities. Of course, will Google rent these apartments to its IT PhD’s only, or will the menial laborers have equal digs? Will the laborers live in the basement? Will executives live in penthouses? Will there be separate cafeterias to accommodate safe spaces?
But then Google is well known for its anti-diversity politics, liberal only social morays, as well as its Big Government surveillance of anyone and everyone… The Orwellian vision is quite real. The Boogeyman is Real!
In essence, segregation is culturally preferred. But it isn’t politically correct. So we pretend to want diversity inclusion while promoting safe spaces exclusion and hope nobody figures it out. Shhhh – don’t tell!