I completely agree! Words really, really, really can be triggering and devastating. Perhaps a better way to phrase the argument in favor to discussing divisiv

I completely agree! Words really, really, really can be triggering and devastating. Perhaps a better way to phrase the argument in favor to discussing divisive topics is that it helps us develop empathy for people who don't share our viewpoints. It's not that we need to constantly berate people with them. It's not even that the conversations need to happen writ large in public (majority always wins in that case). However, it is vital that to try to understand where people are coming from. A good way to do that is by discussing things like religion and politics in small groups. It's good to have an honest conversation about divisive topics with someone who disagrees with them. It's bad to have a one-sided shouting match or even to have the case where it's 10-1 in a polite conversation and the 1 never speaks. I think college is a good place to have these discussions. I feel like I gained a lot from the types of classes and discussions this article describes even at a time when I was extremely emotionally fragile and trying to recover from things I didn't fully understand yet. A places where people feel like they can "just be" is utterly critical. However, if we can't _also_ create some environments where people can talk honestly and learn to empathize with people who see things differently we risk losing out on a more welcoming and understanding society.