Should trigger warnings be mandatory?
--I'd say NO on the principle of free speech, as well as that of intellectual freedom.
Should trigger warnings be prohibited at all times?
--I'd say NO on the same two principles.
Should trigger warnings offered as a courtesy (however unnecessarily or even ridiculously) be publicly criticized?
--With all due respect to Michael Cantor, whom I like, learn from, and respect for (among other reasons) the (trigger warning. Ha!) bullshit-detecting that enhances our collective experience here, I'd say NO based on the logic above and on, like, manners. Would you criticize publicly somebody who held a door for you that you preferred to open yourself or wished you a happy "wrong" winter holiday?
By the way, I was offline for 24 hours to camp with the scouts, so I'm behind on reading and responding to this thread (for which I feel some responsibility) and the original poem-thread. Also, I showed my wife this thread and told her how I created a mini-kerfuffle by deviating from my usual practice. She said, "Duh, you gave a trigger warning because YOU were traumatized by writing the poem [it's true as I described in the poem-thread in a reply to Julie...]. Also, your little computer friends need to lighten up." Sorry, Michael...
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