Why is it always the people who get their news from Facebook who say “Wake up” or declare that if you don’t agree with their point of view, you are part of the “sheeple” and need to do your homework?
With Donald Trump’s rise to political relevance deeply polarizing this country, it has become easier to identify the people you disagree with and give a name to those who otherwise would be part of a percentage. The personal nature of this changes ordinary tweeters and facebookers to foot soldiers of different movements, eager to crush their opponent with facts and moral jabs in the name of justice.
Trump’s presidential run has given people many opportunities to do this.
With his campaign becoming synonymous with outlandish remarks, his defenders simply say he is unafraid to speak the truth. But saying a controversial opinion isn’t always “saying the truth that no one wants to hear” — sometimes, it actually is just a dumb opinion.
Jon Stewart said as much at a veteran benefits show when he said, “People are like, ‘I like Trump; he says what he thinks.’ What he thinks is stupid. That’s like if your friend is like, ‘I would like to f*** your mom.’ Why would you say that?… I don’t give a shit if you’re politically correct, just be correct, correct.”
Time and time again, the ideas on which Trump bases his ideas have been disproved, but his followers are adamant that he is bravely telling the truth. What he has done is give people an excuse to be racist, sexist, Islamophobic, and xenophobic, and he is succeeding because uninformed Americans believe him instead of looking up the facts on their own.
The same people who believe he is speaking the truth about Muslims and Mexicans are ironically the ones quick to condemn the ordinary Germans for being stupid enough to believe in Hitler’s excuses for the Holocaust. Yet, time will show that they, too, are on the wrong side of history.
After all, it was Hitler who recognized the importance of propaganda, saying “Make the lie big, make it simple, keep saying it, and eventually they will believe it.”
The truth is, while you are entitled to your own opinion, you are not entitled to your own facts.
The political views shared in neatly packaged images with indignant paragraphs appeal to emotion but rarely tell the whole story. Because it simplifies complex problems, it is easy for people to make decisions on what they think based on how they feel instead of taking the time to really understand what it leaves out.
Videos and articles can quickly speak for you, but your opinion should not be simply deciding between other people’s opinions and deciding which you believe is correct.
While you must correct the people who have incorrect facts, especially on Facebook, you must allow the people who have what you deem “incorrect opinions” to speak.
They are the ones who push you to develop your argument more thoroughly. You should never be threatened by someone who disagrees with you. If your opinions is valid, the facts will back it up. If not, you know to improve it or change your mind. Friedrich Nietzsche denounced people who were sure of their opinions, saying “Convictions are greater enemies to truth than lies.”
See, it’s easy to have an opinion about something. It’s hard to say you don’t know, that you’re not sure. It’s much more admirable to be open to listening to what other people say without being hindered by the pride of previously choosing a side.
When you listen to others, even people you cannot imagine agreeing with, you’ll find that people don’t try to be ignorant, dumb, or evil, despite what you may think. They just have different points of views than you. After all, nobody thinks that they're wrong.
While I don't agree with increasing the military, if you were raised a military child, you might believe doing so means security for your dad’s job.
If you grew up on food stamps, they may have been the difference between having to starve or having to steal.
If you are Jewish, you may decry Palestinians for what they did to your family.
If you were born out of a rape, you may find each person who supports abortion supporting your death.
With each person having their own unique perspective, it is their voice that allows you a greater sense of empathy. You must protect everyone’s right to say their thoughts even when it goes against what you think. It is not generous to do so, it is necessary — if we are to evolve as a society that learns from each other. The clash is what brings us closer to a place of understanding.
As Walter Lippmann said in his Atlantic article about free speech, “If this were all there is to freedom of opinion, that we are too good-natured or too timid to do anything about our opponents and our critics except to let them talk, it would be difficult to say whether we are tolerant because we are magnanimous or because we are lazy, because we have strong principles or because we lack serious convictions, whether we have the hospitality of an inquiring mind or the indifference of an empty mind. And so if we truly wish to understand why freedom is necessary in a civilized society, we must begin by realizing that, because freedom of expression improves our own opinions, the liberties of other men are our own vital necessity.”
It really does infuriate me when I see people say things that I think are hurtful. But the same people I find racist or xenophobic may find me impractical and unintelligent. I know that in the past, I have been able to change my thoughts because I was able to see the opinions of those I disagree with, and I hope that I will continue to find the strength not to give in to my emotions and continue reading what they think.
