Trump protests show millennials’ thin skin

Controversy is brewing at Emory University over chalk writing in support of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump late last month. Many students claim to be traumatized after seeing “Trump 2016” and “VOTE TRUMP 2016” written in chalk throughout the campus. According to the Washington Post, a group of 40 to 50 students protested the chalk writing in the school’s quad. The leader of this protest shouted, “You are not listening! Come speak to us, we are in pain!” To the student newspaper The Emory Wheel, another student said, “I’m supposed to feel comfortable and safe [here], but this man is being supported by students on our campus and our administration shows that they, by their silence, support it as well. I don’t deserve to feel afraid at my school.”

There are many things wrong with these students’ reactions to this incident. We live in a country that allows someone to support any candidate they want. In a free country, and especially at a university, diversity of thought should be allowed and encouraged. The purpose of college is to encourage the flow of ideas and open debate. When students are exposed to all sides of an issue or different political candidates, they can think critically to form their own opinions.

This incident is a perfect example of how thin-skinned many of today’s students have become. People should be allowed and encouraged to have differences of opinion. If these students are in pain because someone else has a different opinion, they’re in for a great deal of hurt once they get into the real world — because we live in a world with all sorts of opinions. It’s ridiculous to describe this experience as traumatizing. Being exposed to recent terrorist attacks in Brussels or Pakistan is traumatizing — seeing a chalking supporting a presidential candidate is not.

To make matters worse, Emory University President James Wagner, has felt the need to address their concerns and seek out the person responsible for writing the pro-Trump messages. Wagner’s action legitimizes these students’ concerns, and in doing so, sends a message that only some opinions are welcome at Emory. If the pro-Trump student is reprimanded in anyway, Emory will have proven itself to be intellectually oppressive.

Authority figures such as Wagner shouldn’t encourage or give into this kind of behavior. It’s not good for the future of these students. Students need to be exposed to new ideas that will challenge their ideas and beliefs. They don’t need safe spaces in which they can be protected from views in which they disagree with. College is not a daycare center for children — or at least it shouldn’t be. It should be a place for adults to think critically and be exposed to all sorts of ideas.  If the number of young people who act like these students continue to increase, it could have extremely negative consequences for the future of the country. People who break down at the site of “Trump 2016” written in chalk will likely have trouble dealing with the many challenges the world will face as they become the next leaders.

What has happened to young people in America? It’s clear that something needs to change. Millennials need to toughen up and stop being hypersensitive over things like chalkings supporting Trump. Young people need to understand people will have different views from them — and that’s perfectly fine. If people learn to accept that there are many different opinions out there and become strong enough to deal with it, millenials will be better suited to lead and tackle life challenges.