This is an unscheduled post.
As you may know, I’m working on a response to “A Nation of Cowards,” slated for release here July 19. It may appear at Yahoo! Voices sooner.
I am trying to understand this passage. Snyder says:
“Now, judging by campus speech codes, dignity requires that we never encounter a discouraging word and that others be coerced into acting respectfully, evidently on the assumption that we are powerless to prevent our degradation if exposed to the demeaning behavior of others. These are signposts proclaiming the insubstantiality of our character, the hollowness of our souls.”
Is he saying that decency and civility are to be despised? That bullying and hazing should be accepted without sanction?
This morning, I asked Brian Williard about this, and he said Snyder is referring to political correctness and “the self-esteem movement.”
Please advise!
The Homeless Blogger 
“is he saying that decency and civility are to be despised? That bullying and hazing should be accepted without sanction?”
That is not what I understand him to be saying. Of course the terms “bullying” and “hazing” are imprecise and subject to a wide latitude of interpretation.
What I hear him saying is that we have extreme “codes” the underlying premise of which seems to be that our characters is so insubstantial and easily damaged that we must be protected from even the mildest comments.
In general I agree with him on that.
regards,
lwk
Then I hear you saying the same thing Brian Williard said.
I wouldn’t have said the same thing the same way, but I’m hard pressed to disagree.
Thanks!