Specially protected lefty-approved minorities now have a specially lefty-approved excuse for out-of-control temper tantrums, disobedience, destructive behavior, and illegal actions that normally would be condemned.  They were triggered — i.e., someone said something or did something that was so upsetting, so reprehensible, so insensitive that the triggerees are absolutely not responsible for their subsequent normally socially unacceptable actions.  All responsibility is on the triggerer — no matter the reason.

And so it is not surprising to learn that when a Chicago Public Schools teacher, perhaps triggered by a Hispanic student sitting during the triggering Pledge of Allegiance, allegedly "aggressively" asked if the student's "legs were broken," further inquiring "whether or not he received free lunch at the school, going on to say the students were disrespecting those who died in order for them to have that lunch," and concluding with telling the student to "return to the country you came from," the teacher was removed from the school after triggered student sit-ins — i.e., rioting and other disruptive behavior.  But of course.

The school is now in "healing" mode, according to the principal, "providing cultural training for all staff."  But no "cultural training" is needed for the triggered sitting students and their supportive friends.

 
Senn High School (photo credit: Klio 0701).

Senn Principal Mary Beck sent a letter to parents and families Thursday informing them that the teacher had been pulled while Chicago Public Schools' Office of Student Protections and Title IX (OSP) looks into the allegations made against him.

"At the conclusion of OSP's investigation, a final determination will be made regarding whether it is appropriate for this individual to return to Senn," Beck wrote. "I will update the school community when a final determination is made.

"I know this week has been difficult for our school, and I want you to know that the concerns our students have expressed have been heard. I'm committed to implementing the agreements I made with our students to heal our community."

The principal made no mention of the concerns of the unhealed teacher, who apparently is not a member of "our community."

Senn High School, like the city of Chicago itself, is a multi-ethnic, multi-racial, multicultural high school, not particularly outstanding but not particularly terrible, with a liberal multi-ethnic, multi-racial, multicultural faculty and staff, as city educators tend to be, located in an equally multi-, multi-, multi-liberal neighborhood.

Indeed, the only unusual aspect of this incident, that is surprisingly reassuring to me, is that a teacher in liberal Chicago believes that students should stand for the Pledge and appreciates the sacrifices of earlier generations.  OK, OK, maybe the teacher shouldn't have allegedly inquired if the students pay for their own lunch, suggested they don't love the United States, or suggested they leave it and return to their native s-holes, but it is also surprisingly reassuring to hear that a Chicago teacher, who certainly would know of the risks, would utter those words.

He must have been triggered.  Maybe he is only a few generations removed from legal, white skin–non-privileged immigrants whose family immigrated to the USA, learned the language of their new country, and worked long hours in unpleasant jobs while struggling to provide their children with food and other necessities.  Maybe he has family members or knows those who made the ultimate sacrifice for freedom.  Until recently, that could describe a large portion of the population of industrial cities such as Chicago. 

So yes, the teacher could have been triggered by culturally insensitive students who couldn't bother to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance to a country that probably provides them with a free lunch among other benefits.  But pointing all this out is culturally insensitive to a politically correct minority, which has superior triggering rights because of being a politically correct minority.

Got that?  No?  I don't, either.