The phrase "This is an unpopular opinion," is thrown around a lot in this day and age, especially with a political climate that creeps closer and closer to "You're either with us, or you're with the enemy" (thanks a lot George Bush). There is a thread on Reddit called r/unpopularopinion. There is a hashtag for it. Hell, there is a meme called "Unpopular Opinion Puffin."

But what does it mean to have an unpopular opinion? It could mean something really benign, such as saying that a singer is completely overrated. Maybe you're in the camp that says we should trust science on certain issues, such as climate change and gender identity. If you are in the minority opinion on certain issues, then you hold the unpopular opinion.

Obviously there are unpopular opinions that are completely reprehensible that should either be mocked or thrown by the wayside. You know what I mean: that the Holocaust was a hoax, that Hitler had some really good ideas, that the nations need to be segregated and that the majority group is superior, things like that. The problem that I have is that, with how hypersensitive society has become, that every single unpopular opinion is not just an opinion: it is an affront on all decent sensibilities.

To give an example, I serve on the ed-board for the university newspaper. I can only assume that I am the only (even moderately) conservative in the room. There have been too many editorial pieces where the topic has been pro-whatever the left believes to be acceptable, yet I feel like I cannot give my own two cents without being called a bigot.

I'm not alone in this. Conservative speakers on college campuses face rampant protest because the leftists, typically associated with ANTIFA, have deemed their talking points, no matter how tame they are, as unworthy of being allowed in the public discourse and needing to be shut down. Having an unpopular opinion is reason enough to have buildings vandalized, people assaulted, and have the speakers either be dis-invited or need half a million dollars in the security detail.

The problem is multifaceted. First, as I have mentioned, politics has become very polarized and tribal in nature. Add to the fact that there are several media outlets and institutions of higher learning that lean leftward, and already those on the left who have been spoonfed social justice from a young age and don't question the ideas are in the majority. The tribal nature plus the safety in numbers equates to all unpopular opinions, not just the ones that need to die, being silenced.

We need the "unpopular opinions" to be heard, and that starts with the universities and the media. Alternative media websites, such the Daily Wire, are already coming hard into the foreground. Anti-feminist YouTubers like Sargon of Akkad, Bearing, and ShoeonHead draw wide audiences to the other perspective. Be that as it may, the universities need to step it up.

Liberal professors currently outnumber their conservative colleagues at 12 to 1, with economics being the most friendly major for conservatives at 4.5 to 1, and history being the least friendly to conservatives at 33 to 1.

It is the unpopular opinions that are protected by the First Amendment to our constitution. It is also the unpopular ideas that lead to the intellectual discourse necessary to advance society. Without them, society would get nowhere. So let those unpopular be heard, and don't back down. Be open to new ideas, even if they leave you with a bad taste in your mouth. In the end, they benefit us all.