Subject

Here are 40 reasons our jails and prisons are filled with black and poor people

Haven't read it all yet...

sunnykerr

I think it's because people (and not just in the United States) have gotten lazy in their use of critical thinking.

Instead of trying to make up our own minds by looking at what they're given and applying common sense/experience/the expertise of people who know better, we use rhetorical short cuts.

In politics, religion is the biggest short cut of them all, because it's come to replace everything else that used to be the foundation for trust in any given politician. He's religious, therefore he must be an ethical person. He's religious, therefore he must have good intentions and sound morals. He's religious, therefore yada yada yada.

I consider myself religious, but I also find that religion doesn't have much of a place in politics, especially in a democracy.

Religion can be an excellent personal guide. But it's a personal thing. It shouldn't be placed in the middle of public administration.

sunnykerr

Subject

As I have been accused of using the word or phrase that I used as triggering. I think an article about it may be due.

Guide to Triggering

I want to say that I apologize if my mention of this word or phrase in this context made anyone uncomfortable. Still, I come from a country more or less with freedom of speech. I would not want to make anyone here feel uncomfortable. So, if you have a problem with me or what I said please either PM me about it or say something here on the thread. I do not want to discourage anyone from posting because of my actions.


I did not mean to trigger anyone but it seems trigger can be applied to anything..

Perhaps I just do not know more about it.




Man receives sex act while blacked out, gets accused of sexual assault

Ann357

The sorrow and trouble for these victims just continues...

Boko Haram victim: I'll keep my captor's baby - CNN.com

Sunrise at Midnight

Please be patient with us, we're currently working on a solution for anyone who's concerned about triggering topics. We are a very unique board and have a wide variety of topics and posters and want everyone to feel safe and welcomed.

Thanks,

Kali, Mandie & Lars

Subject

Personally since triggering can mean anything. I think a simple post in the opening of this thread that news may often contain trigger subjects to others. Is simple enough. All we can do is post the news and talk about it.

We can not be held responsible for everyone else feelings in regards to what they may consider "triggering" News is news we do not make it, we simply talk about it. Or else nothing would never get said since anything can be a possible trigger to someone else.

Sunrise at Midnight

sunnykerr

I'm guessing politics is okay, right?

Sunrise at Midnight

Yes, unless it involves a sex scandal etc...same with other news stories.



I'm still not entirely sure what that Trade deal was about let alone why the GOP was so for it. I laughed when the local news said "Obama's good pal Pelosie dealt him a blow"

sunnykerr

So maybe it would be useful to define what would be safe in the world of news discussion. Because, usually, what makes the news is pretty dramatic. So would this be the thread of good news?

I mean, I figured that Senate Republicans publicly reasserting for the past six years that their approach would be to block everything Obama wanted made this cartoon pretty neutral. But I have to admit that I did have hesitation due to the fact that it depicts Obama as having a medical emergency.

I think I understand what belongs on the "potentially triggering" thread. But I would like to know, basically, what would be considered generally neutral enough to be on the "regular" news thread: good news, politics (except for war, sex scandals, abuse scandals, etc.), anything that's not controversial...

How was the differentiation made in your discussions?

Sunrise at Midnight

At the moment The main goal is to keep the sexual, violent abusive topics separate because those are the most common triggers and what has been requested of us so far.

The simplest way I can explain this is like this...Say there breaking news that people from the country of XYZ have been held hostage and had vile things done to them and another famous family has a molestian scandal ...that would go in the trigger thread where it could be talked about and certain phrases could be said. At the same time a story breaks about an earthquake or natural disaster...I'd say it go in here, unless otherwise requested by someone. There is definitely going to be a learning curve as we go and eventually more topics may be added as posters come and go, but for right now the ones I've listed are where the major concern is.


That cartoon is safe because it's not making fun of a victim, its not showing violence, abuse etc... Does that make sense?


There will most definitely also be some tweaking to both OPs for example etc...everything is still a work in progress.

Subject

That is the problem right there.. "unless otherwise requested" If it a trigger wouldn't they have to read it. Therefore already triggering themselves?

What is someone was actually in a past disaster? That could be a trigger for them. Or a victim of racism. Or once actually poor? Homeless, etc....

As for the cartoon. What if someone had a relative who needed to be tended to by an emergency response team? That cartoon may trigger traumatic memories of the event for them.

In order to help you all have a list of subjects (which could be anything) that mean triggering here are a few links I found.

everyday feminism

geekfeminism

trigger-warning-guide

Common Trigger Warnings


So basically in order to be on the safe side. All news should probably go into the sensitive thread. Just to be safe.

Sunrise at Midnight

Michael, you're making more out of this than is necessary. Right now please just respect the decision that has been made. If at a later date something needs to be changed, we'll change it. This is isn't about "what ifs and could be's". Right now at this moment it's about the topics we've listed and have been requested. That's its. No more, no less.

Again, as I've said to you over and over please have patience, yes, examples and list are coming..my co-mods have things going on, then we have to get approval, yes things will be tweaked as we go. Please have patience.

Subject

This is a first step towards censorship of the news. The news thread has now been split in two. Separate but equal right? Where have I heard that before.....

How am I not respecting it? I even offered links to give you and your co-mods lists of common triggers.

Isn't the entire idea of separating the thread based on what could be triggers or what if someone gets triggered?

So.. hopefully this goes here and not in the other thread....

Punishing the poor: Michigan adopts law to take away families’ food assistance if kids miss school