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Comment by justinsingh | Hacker News Reader

The problem I identify is that such "safe places", from what I understand, discourage experimentation and new ideas by shaming concepts that may offend them.

I am interested in hearing your logic behind how this specific movement is going to generate innovation & innovators, as I think you are claiming (correct me if I'm wrong please). I think you may be mistaken if you believe this is just a challenge against the older generation- it seems to be a challenge against the ideas that do not conform to their criteria of having to be inoffensive.

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>discourage experimentation and new ideas by shaming concepts that may offend them.

Yeah, experimentation with new ideas like blackface and rape jokes.

I think the main issue with arguments against is that they rely on some black and white vision of the world (also ignoring that you can have places that aren't "safe spaces" to do your experimentation). Darwin would not have been limited by safe spaces. But hey, maybe KKK recruitment would.

My knowledge on this topic is limited to only the video I saw of a group of students arguing with a professor.

The students were arguing about the FUNDAMENTAL criteria of what should be allowed to be expressed. If something offends people, that's not acceptable. So, this criteria is not limited to only "new ideas like blackface and rape jokes"- it's anything that is considered offensive, and that's why it may discourage experimentation.

> My knowledge on this topic is limited to only the video I saw of a group of students arguing with a professor.

I don't think one video is any more than an anecdote, not representative of all these people doing all these things at all these colleges nationwide.

Yup! You're right, and I wasn't referring to all colleges nationwide. Just the points backed in the video I saw.

Can you give me sources that exemplify supporters of safe spaces who aren't fundamentally against shaming any idea that may offend people?

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