I am not going to sit here and pretend I know everything there is to know about this election. I won’t even try and pretend I know a normal amount of information about it. But, one thing I have noticed from the start, as a reasonably uninformed observer, is a common theme: parochialism. Narrow-mindedness, sectarianism, whatever you wanna call it. Yes, I know that most people have either really strong opinions about a certain candidate or they aren’t in favor of either; yet, consistently, we have been forcing our opinions down everyone else’s throats.
Do you have a right to your opinion? Yes, absolutely. Do you have merit to your conclusions? I would sure hope so. However, no matter the circumstances, you are doing no good by declaring that your point of view is the be all, end all. If everyone acted that way all of the time, we would never improve anything.
We are a country founded on democracy; a government by the people for the people. Whether you have faith in our current government or not, how can you go against the fundamental principles this country was established upon? The idea that all men (and women) are created equal and that their opinions should be valued as such. Yeah, I’m aware that a lot of things have changed in the USA since the constitution and declaration of independence. But, one thing that shouldn’t change is our conviction that there is value in perspective.
Okay sure, this is much easier said than done. It is very easy to get wrapped up in your own head, because that is all we know. Unless mind-reading is actually an undiscovered superpower among the human race, we can only hear our own thoughts. Are we going to place the utmost importance on what goes through our own head? Naturally, yes. Does it have to be that way? No.
It is almost like you have to rewire your brain: instead of allowing yourself to categorize someone else’s opinion into the “I don’t give a shit” box, make it go into the “let me think about this” box. Can you still disagree with someone? YES. Disagreement leads to improvement. How do you think the US was formed, anyway? Plus, life would be so boring if we all agreed with everyone all the time. My point is simple: take a step back off all of your high horses and remember you aren’t the only one with important opinions. We can’t preach equality and then not put actions into place that actually make it happen. You might think I’m crazy, but changing society all begins with day to day actions. Trust me on this one.
If we all spent a little more time hearing each other out and a little less time dismissing each other’s thoughts, maybe we could actually shut the hell up and agree on something. Or maybe I’m being too idealistic. Either way, you should hear me out and make the decision for yourself.
