I rarely give my opinion about controversial current events. I don't engage in latest debates surrounding the latest in politics, the war, or economic climate, and I certainly do not use my social media accounts for such discussion. (Not knocking those who do, it's just not my style.) In my opinion, the goal of talking about something controversial is to gain understanding from all perspectives. And while many people fall into this mindset, I have chosen not to engage in these debates for specific reasons.
1) I'm still figuring it out. How can I engage in conversation on a certain topic if I'm still figuring out what it means to me? I like hearing other people's perspectives and learning from them. I'm definitely not an expert on any subject, and there are a lot of nuances that make up an issue. So I like to learn as much as I can from others in addition to doing my own research.
2) Talking about a controversial subject, all too often, turns into people trying to persuade others to join their base camp of thinking. This seems counterproductive if our goal is understanding and learning. We should be listening more than talking. Often this frustrates me as well since the persuasion comes off more as coercion where people angrily spew their argument, usually without reason or evidence, as to why they feel that way. Which leads me to my next point.
3) Since both sides are so concerned with swaying the undecided their way means everyone is expected to fall into two camps. I seem to never fall in one. And I have a feeling most people don't fall solely on one specific side either. So rather than getting too involved, I step out.
All of this to say, I don't get involved. However, in light of some recent events, I want to speak up in hopes of keeping some perspective on what I think is the bigger issue. First, I'm sure many people are aware of the recent Orlando shooting. If not, it was a horrible act of violence in which 50 people were killed and 53 injured by a gunman at a nightclub. Since then I've seen countless Facebook statuses calling for more gun control or less gun control. I've seen people lament about how the government is framing this as an ISIS attack rather than an attack predicated by homophobia and intolerance. All of which are possible. But for me, this attack, the recent bathroom debate, all the issues around feminism, white feminism, and racism all point to a larger issue. And that is a misunderstanding. Misunderstanding someone who is different and passing judgement on someone who you don't understand or don't agree with. Can we just stop?
Can we all speak from different perspectives without jumping down each other's throats with our opinions? Being compassionate and understanding doesn't mean you agree someone's choices. It just means you're not being a jerk to someone who is different. Can we stop being intolerant? Can we stop thinking we know the whole story and commit to listening more? I think if we all stop arguing and agree to talk and listen we could learn a lot from each other.
