"Also vexing is the students’ contention that Chick-fil-A’s presence would be an act of “microaggression” against gay people."

They don't know what aggression is. "Micro-aggression" is a non-sense term.

Last I checked, the talk page for Wiki's entry on Microaggression was pretty awesome. The top entry was this very aspie dude laboriously explaining that he was editing out the word "theory" because theories are things which are facts and sciencey and this was not sciencey and made him sad.

n a free society everyone should be able to feel as they wish as long as their actions cause no harm (intended or otherwise) to anyone else. The type situation that corporate "Conscience" brings about is a perilous slope. Corporations are entities that exist for profit and should be sexless, colorless, and ambivalent to who their customers are (as long as the customer has the legal ability to engage in commerce with them).

That being said...corporate philanthropy is a different matter. It is quite right for a corporation, acting on the wishes of their stockholders, to distribute philanthropic gifts where they feel it would best serve their community.

Just as I would never support a corporations right to discriminate, I would also never support them being limited as to where they can distribute their philanthropic gifts (as long as it is legal and does not support illegal activity). I may not agree with it, but I am then free to take my business elsewhere.

In the specific case of Chik-fil-a, it would certainly depend on where they gave their gifts...if it was to support discrimination, then that would clearly be supporting an illegal activity. If it is in support of a religious belief that did not conflict with law, then that would be totally acceptable. The problem is where does one start and one stop.

However, I do not see their presence in a market as being any kind of "aggression". If anything, it would be them trying to fulfill the priority of any corporation...make a profit.

Plato, "microaggression" is an attempt to reframe absolutely any behavior or belief a person finds offensive as a form of assault. CFA's "aggression" in this case was not liking gay people, nothing more. If you check out the Wiki page I mentioned, you will find more examples. Expecting Latina women to be "sassy" is a microaggression. Staring at their asses is microaggression. Having snarky opinions about the concept of microaggression is microaggression. Essentially, it's an effort to use language to turn mere impropriety into something approaching a criminal offense. If it weren't confined to knicker-twisting college students at present, it would be rather alarming.

Note that this includes--nay, specifically implies--involuntary and subliminal behaviors. Thoughtcrime for the wimpy liberal. Being almost imperceptibly smug or gauche or uncomfortable is a microaggression.

Frankly, people are free to oppose just about anything they want for any reason they want. I just don't care enough to give a damn about ****ty fast food places.

What exactly is a "microaggression" and why should a college care?

One millionth of an aggression. What are you, daft?

Thanks Elok.

But can they make up words that don't make any sense? What if there's a hundred million of them?

Your whole post is microaggression.


And Firefox's spellchecker refuses to recognize microaggression as a real word thus committing microaggression.

BOYCOTT FIREFOX NOW!

If your aggression is just micro, you need to be chastised for not trying hard enough.

trigger warning

Kid, you just defined Post Modernism in your two weighty and incredibly insightful questions. :beer:

I think the students should not allow Chick-Fil-A or any other person on campus who is homophobic until they have taken and competed a sensitivity training course. Chick-Fil-A is a Christian person as defined by the USSC and should be treated as such.

And why is it that other persons, such as Blackwater, can change their names (to Academy, in thit example) and be excused for previous behaviour? If Charles Manson had changed his name, would he be released from jail?

Dibs on 'picoaggression'.