“You’re not funny or clever” – Trigger warnings and a massacre hoax

An anonymous person online posting “massacre tomorrow…in lecture theatre l3 at warwick university, 12pm (check the news)” is, I’m sure, an event that doesn’t sit well with anyone considering the history of massacres at places of education across the world.

Obviously, we now know this was all a hoax, some poor attempt at creating fear or – perhaps worse – trying to turn mass murder into a thing to laugh at.

And yet the police presence on campus following the event is something many felt uncomfortable with, and I’m sure many will continue to feel so. But in my ever so humble opinion: if someone is going to threaten a massacre on our campus, an armed police presence is the least I would expect and hope for.

The police presence on campus following the event is something many felt uncomfortable with

A hoax or not, the police were there to ensure student safety in this instance.

Of course, students at Warwick campus have had negative experiences with police on campus during their time here: I entirely acknowledge this, and understand why people from certain backgrounds feel the police are there to persecute, and not protect.

I also respect these people’s opinion and belief that the police should not be allowed on campus (hence last year’s mass ‘Cops Off Campus’ demo). However, if the lives of myself and my fellow students are potentially at risk, it is a harsh reality that the police are the only ones that would be able to respond.

It is a harsh reality that the police are the only ones that would be able to respond

What makes this whole situation worse is the reference from the massacre hoaxer to the Boar’s inclusion of trigger warnings in our last printed issue.

The hoaxer wrote: “i thought trigger warnings were mostly a meme but there is one on the front of me uni student newspaper lmoa how the fuck is it helping anyone if you plaster “SEXUAL VIOLENCE SUICIDE SELF HARM” etc over the front cover anyway ”.

Those warnings were there for a reason: to give victims of rape and violence a chance to avoid content that may upset them, which is beyond valuable. Sure, the words were on the front, but it allowed students to decide whether or not to proceed with the content they were about to read.

The massacre hoaxer to the Boar’s inclusion of trigger warnings in our last printed issue

Protecting vulnerable students from furthering their emotional trauma is something I am so proud the Boar took the decision to do. The stories told last week are amazing, and the authors behind them even more so for their bravery.

But student safety is also an amazing entity that we need to protect, and the fact my fellow members on the editorial team agreed with me on the need for trigger warnings is something I will always respect them for.

The implicit indication from the hoaxer bringing in the trigger warnings before going on to threaten a massacre is trying to devalue their use and make them a joke. But you know what’s never funny? Threatening to kill people.

But you know what’s never funny? Threatening to kill people

Whether or not you agree with our recent decision to include trigger warnings, you can’t use them as a point of contention for the absolutely ridiculous threat made.

To whoever wrote those two posts: fuck you. You’re not funny or clever.