My Facebook news feed is inundated with political posts. This, on its own, is not a daunting statement or something that would usually warrant much attention. However, the divisiveness invited by the increasingly incendiary posts is something that can be viewed as a cause for concern.

This has transcended the world of social media and is apparent in everyday life. In the news, there have been reports of people getting attacked due to their political ideologies. There are people constantly deriding liberals or other groups of people looking down upon conservatives. It’s alarming because it’s almost as if one is not allowed to hold on to their own opinion without fear of attack.

I think Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time followed by Kobe Bryant. However, some of my friends and family think Bryant is the greatest while others believe LeBron James is.

Despite the differing opinions, we all come together at the end of the day and there is nothing more serious than a debate or an argument. This makes life, in my opinion, more exciting because it would become redundant if everyone agreed with one another.

After this previous election, however, things have been taking an increasingly negative turn. My family is, for the most part, liberal. Whereas, my Infantry brethren are typically on the conservative side of the spectrum. I see people unfriending others simply because of something they posted about their beliefs.

I was born in America, and that is one of the great things about this country; the fact that one can believe what they choose to believe. That is why it’s both alarming and disheartening to hear about people getting assaulted simply because they support a particular side.

People should be able to hold on to their beliefs without fear of being attacked. In the future, if I I have kids of my own one day, I’d like to believe that they will be able to have their own political beliefs without being afraid.

Differing opinions make the world a richer place and it allows one to see a side of the argument they may not have envisioned. It also helps one step out of their comfort zone and realize the fact that everything is based on perspective.

With that being said, one should not forsake friends or acquaintances due to conflicting ideologies. The great thing, that we cannot forget, is that we have the privilege of doing the research and formulating our own opinion.