I have been avidly reading your whole conversation with bivy and I think both of you are fantastic.

Thank you as well. I guess I would just leave off by saying that even if trigger warrnings are not really ‘used’ per se by most students who need them because they are accustomed to trauma, they aren’t hurting anyone, so it’s a win win.

You’re describing a situation in which you have instituted trigger warnings, but are put off by certain white, usually male, students who abuse them. You say that the people who need them never approach you about them. But doesn’t that mean they are working?

If you don’t have the ability to teach your students and ignore invalid claims then that is a reflection on your ability and your ability alone. If a student brought in a fake doctors note to get out of class we wouldn’t say we should get rid of doctors. People will abuse systems. That’s not a reason to get rid of…

And in honor of its new, brave stance, the University of Chicago will be lighting some celebratory fireworks outside the bedroom windows of neighborhood veterans.