Opinions are supposed to be personal decisions and convictions. No one is supposed to tell you what to think or how to think about something. This election has really made me think about what an opinions is supposed to be. It is not supposed to be a vehicle for an individual to argue with others. It is supposed to help an individual express themselves and identify with other like minded people. This election has strayed so far from the idea of a private vote. It seems as if everyone loves one candidate and hates the other. There is no in-between or middle ground. If you hate the candidate your peer loves then they automatically think less of you. The absolute worst of the political Facebook posts are the ones along the lines of "If you are in favor of [insert controversial topic] please unfriend me or I will do it for you". Like really? You've got to be kidding me. If you can't be friends with someone on Facebook that you has a different view than you that you otherwise considered a friend, how are you going to get along with people in the real world? Opinions are intended to be left to the person that holds them. Why can everyone not just respect that?
I know I am not alone when I say I am sick of seeing people's unsolicited political posts on social media. If you are posting a blatant opinion in favor of one candidate over another, you are asking to get into an argument with someone that follows me. I understand that some people express their opinion that way and want everyone to know, but since when did Facebook become the platform for telling people that their opinion is wrong? Opinions cannot be wrong. That is why they are called opinions, not facts. People do not seem to understand that they are not going to be able to change anyone's mind about certain things. No more explaining, debating, or telling a person they are wrong is going to help anything. It's only going to make them dig their heels in more. I am a firm believer than anyone can do or think whatever they want, but I refuse to have anyone else's opinions pushed onto me. I have my own beliefs, but I don't continually make people believe the same things that I believe. I wish more people would understand that opinions are a very personal thing and they are not meant to be forced onto others.
That being said, debate is good for politics and many other facets of this country. If you want to debate your opinions and make them known to the entire world, maybe you should join the debate team or go into politics. Please, use another avenue for expressing your controversial opinions or don't be surprised when you get in a ridiculous social media fight over them.
