A University of Oklahoma human relations theory class has come under scrutiny after a student voiced her concerns about some of the things being taught.
A woman who wished to remain anonymous sent a letter to Fox News contributor Todd Starnes. In it, she said she was told that singing a Rihanna song if you are not a woman from Barbados is insulting and a microaggression.
I was literally told to go sing The Star-Spangled Banner, Starnes quoted the student in a post for his Todds American Dispatch Fox News opinion blog.
The student also showed Starnes two assignments, one about microaggression and the other a 100-item checklist used to determine whether students are privileged.
The checklist included items like I am white, I have never done my taxes myself, I have had an unpaid internship, Ive used prescription drugs recreationally, I had a car in high school and Ive always had cable.
The College Fix pointed out that almost 90 percent of American households had cable in 2010 and approximately two-thirds of those designated as poor have cable (or satellite) television services.
Starnes said the checklist results would consider Atheists, Muslims and anyone who works at a fast-food joint underprivileged.
They teach you that if you are not part of the minority, you cannot be discriminated against, the anonymous student told Starnes.
The assignment on microaggression included conversations that could be considered either harmless or microaggressions, but all of the scenarios ended up being microaggressions. In one, a woman stated that she believes only women and men should marry because thats what the Bible says, but she respects others choices.
That blew my mind. If Im asked my opinion, I cant say it because its offensive? the student told Starnes. If we cant express differing views, how can we learn?
She was also upset because Christian students are being taught to question their values. Theyre being told their values are wrong.
OKCFOX.com reported that the universitys human relations department is investigating the students claims.
And people continued to discuss these issues and strove to be open-minded (or not) and tried really hard not to offend everyone in the world for the rest of eternity. The end.
Print headline: Relative statements
April 27, 2016 News » Commentary