<p>I am about as classic Northeast liberal Democrat as they come, but sometimes the political correctness on campus just really gets to me. Everyone spends so much time being “offended” and victimized.</p>
<p>Here’s the latest:</p>
<p>Philanthropy event at S’s school featuring a mock “Jail and Bail” has been cancelled since it’s offensive.
Fraternity and sorority members would plan to “arrest” volunteers; in exchange, they’d raise money for a particular cause. They would be dressed in orange prison scrubs (a la Orange is the New Black). </p>
<p>But this is apparently “insensitive to systemic issues surrounding mass incarceration.” Here are quotes:</p>
<p>“You’re employing aspects, the orange jumpsuits, of an oppressive system that operates as a massive encumbrance to the lives and literacy rates of black and brown children in these ‘underprivileged’ areas.”
“The fact that a group of wealthy students are ‘playacting’ at being prisoners (most of whom are poor) is a blatant belittling of the realities of mass incarceration and the prison-industrial complex."</p>
<p>I’d planned on dressing in the orange prison scrubs of Orange is the New Black for a Halloween party I was going to; the only thing that stopped me was that I couldn’t find orange scrubs in time. Was that “offensive” too?</p>
<p>Really. I have a high tolerance for this kind of thing and the idealism of youth, but really. Not everything is about oppression.</p>
<p>LOL. Was this written by my DD? I see the point, as I (a fellow NE liberal) have been schooled by my current uber-liberal daughter (a middle-class white biologically female person) on such issues since she started college. I figure it’s better that they’re idealists and care than that they accept the current system, even if they are no-fun-Nancys sometimes. </p>
<p>:making popcorn:
It seems to be a popular fundraiser for many school districts, as well as the March of Dimes.
Did the collective that shut down the fundraiser make an alternate suggestion and work to make it successful?</p>
<p>I am a unchurched northwest liberal but sometimes the PC crowd drives me nuts cause they don’t see they are as knee jerk reactionary as their far right counterparts.</p>
<p>I have been involved in a lot of fundraisers. One thing we did was a cultural festival with international food booths and a dunk tank. ( also a bounce house)
As this was a K-12 school, it was just as much a community event as a fundraiser however.
We also had a dunk tank, and costume karaoke where you could bid on having teachers dress up n outlandish outfits and sing songs of your choice.</p>
<p>Ordinarily I would not see this as a problem… but right now, with the highlight on inequities in the justice system, I would not do this. In and of itself this is tiny, but right now tiny would be piled on top of massive and just make it worse.</p>
<p>Were they wearing do rags & flashing gang signs in promotional material?
That would be offensive.
Perhaps they could fashion it after the 1930’s Chicago mobsters.</p>
<p>You can’t see how this might be offensive? Think about it - privileged white kids (the vast majority of Greek students at most schools) playing at incarceration in light of very recent events that illustrate the hypocrisy of our judicial system? What if it was play lynching? Raise the money or they die.</p>
<p>Again, in theory, I can see where this was not intended to be offensive, but it is probably very offensive to many members of the community.</p>
<p>I get just as tired of hearing “check your privilege” as the next person, but sometimes you have to do it. :-)</p>
<p>So then it’s OK if some other organization does it as long as they’re not privileged white kids?</p>
<p>I’ve heard of other organizations doing similar fundraisers involving a makeshift jail and having to raise funds for the organization to get out.</p>
<p>Would it be an appropriate fundraiser if one or more members of the sponsoring organization had a relative in prison? Is it still amusing? This is an sincere question. I am not good at humor. I am probably never going to see humor in a situation where someone is disadvantaged relative to me. I do get political satire. </p>
<p>Actually I think this activity is a perfect example of the real world: The ones with the money can afford to buy their way out of jail. Justice belongs to the rich. What could be a better learning experience of what life is all about? </p>
<p>This sort of thing has a circle. The next step is being offended that out in the real world people are dealing with real problems and here we are stuck in AlmaMaterBubble where we enjoy all sort of privileges and we get offended at something that has no real effect on anyone, while we do nothing to change the real world and we should all feel bad about that. Meanwhile, very few people are doing anything more “activist” than liking their activist group on facebook.</p>
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