Twitter Outrage: Offended People Declare ‘National Offend A College Student Day’

Want to get directly to the pulse of the people? The place to go for that is twitter. And today on twitter, it appears that the current events happening at Yale University and University of Missouri have sparked a sizeable backlash that inspired the twitter hashtag #NationalOffendACollegeStudentDay.

In an atmosphere where some university campuses seem to be coming more and more hostile to open and civil debate and free speech, where the calls for “safe spaces” is deafening loud and often profanity laden, and where microagressions, the idea that even the slightest misstep in speech can be hurtful and alienating and therefore must be stomped out with a vengeance, seem to be seen as an epidemic that will cause the downfall of civil society, and where even the most mundane discussion has to be prefaced with a “trigger warning,” a rising resentment of this atmosphere appears to be growing.

Ironically, many of those most offended by the offense being shown by some university students aren’t even university students. Okay, that isn’t irony; it seems that some people just get offended by people being offended in places they aren’t in to see what people are being offended about.

So, whether it is people being offended in schools or people being offended by the offense some people in some schools are taking over what they deem offensive, it is clear that everyone appears to be offended about something. And, social media sites like twitter gives a wonderful outlet for all the people who are offended over whatever they are offended by to express the offence they feel. And that leads us to the twitter hashtag #NationalOffendACollegeStudentDay.

The tag seems to have brought out a number of conservatives, Tea Party supporters, libertarians, anti-feminists, men’s rights movementers, “patriots,” commie-haters, 2^nd amendment lovers and pretty much anyone else who hates the evil liberal left they loathe with every fiber of their being. Apparently these folks believe that all who are offended in this world are thin skinned, bleeding heart liberals, ignoring things like, say, people getting angry and offended because Starbucks doesn’t have Merry Christmas written on their red cups, or county clerks who refuse to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples because they are offended by equality, or Republican presidential candidates offended because CNBC asked a few questions they didn’t like.

And somehow, for some reason, some even see this as President Obama’s fault, you know, because everything is, right? Those so deeply offended that Barack Obama is the President of the United States are offended that people are offended and blame the offense the offended are feeling, somehow, on him.

Oh, and what is with all the transphobic and homophobic tweets under the hashtag? Oh, right, every opportunity to take a jab at Caitlyn Jenner must be pounced upon. What better way to celebrate National Offend A College Student Day then hating on Caitlyn Jenner – makes perfect sense, right?

Because many of the tweets by people offended by the fact that other people are offended tend to use quite offensive ideas or rhetoric, sifting through to find some more poignant tweets that won’t offend readers was a chore, but here are a few of the least offensive tweets by people who are offended and want to show it on National Offend A College Student Day.

#NationalOffendACollegeStudentDay You go to college to learn, not to be cuddled and kept in a safe space bubble where you’ll never improve.

— Tomás Allende Conte (@TomsAllende) November 10, 2015

#NationalOffendACollegeStudentDay Does mommy and daddy know that ur wasting their money by refusing to learn and have your ideas challenged?

— NikiMcSpooks (@Niki_McNugget) November 10, 2015

A passionate, well thought out editorial > a whiney, angry, simplistic billboard #NationalOffendACollegeStudentDay

— Bryan Valvana (@BryanValvana) November 10, 2015

You might be wrong. #NationalOffendACollegeStudentDay

— David Galiel (@davidgaliel) November 10, 2015

Hey instead of walking out of class to protest, why not stay in class and debate the issue? #NationalOffendACollegeStudentDay

— Bryan Valvana (@BryanValvana) November 10, 2015

#NationalOffendACollegeStudentDay pic.twitter.com/qhYShhvW1i

— Jennifer_StL (@alyssadara) November 11, 2015

Learning is supposed to challenge your preconceptions, and be uncomfortable. That’s how you grow. #NationalOffendACollegeStudentDay

— Meteo Designs (@MeteoDesigns) November 11, 2015

You’re so asinine that you’re making more people despise the often good causes you pretend to stand for. #NationalOffendACollegeStudentDay

— Kasimir Urbanski (@KasimirUrbanski) November 11, 2015

The phrase “trigger warning” supports gun culture. #NationalOffendACollegeStudentDay

— kender1 (@kender1) November 10, 2015

#NationalOffendACollegeStudentDay pic.twitter.com/ocFCrG6jkt

— Bob Lorincz (@Bobcat665) November 11, 2015

So, it is clear that many people are quite offended by the offense other people are taking and enjoyed taking to the internet today and expressing their offense over offense on twitter. I wonder what everyone will be offended by tomorrow. I’ll check twitter in the morning.

[Feature image by Bethany Clarke/Getty Images]