It has been a crazy few months with this presidential election. I have seen grown adults revert to high school name-calling. I have seen people judged for simply stating what they believe. I have seen a nation forget, that we all still have to coexist no matter who wins the election. Now that the votes are in and our new president has been decided, I ask everyone to honestly look at their actions over the past few months. I mean really look. Were you kind? Were you respectful? Did your comments further the conversation? If you answered no to any of the following questions, I'm writing this for you.
Disagreements are going to happen. If we all had identical world views, none of us would ever be challenged. None of us would have the same chance to grow as people. These differences between us are special and of late that seems to have been forgotten. It is not a crime to have a different opinion than someone.
I really like onions. My fiancée does not. Do I call him a freaking idiot who doesn't deserve to live because he doesn't like onions? I do not. I have asked why he doesn't like onions and now that I know why, we've compromised and I only put onions on half of the dish. That is because I respect his right to his opinion and do not want to impose my own on him all the time just because I can. I know that onions are a long way from the pressing issues this election brought up, but the idea is the same. We can have different opinions and still coexist and treat each other with respect.
For those of you who belittled someone for their beliefs, you have not lived their life. You do not know what has happened to them in the past. Their hardships have led them to support the ideas they hold. And your hardships are what have shaped you. Neither view is wrong. Each is simply a statement about who you are as a person.
Instead of calling each other names when presented with an opinion different than ours, we should instead take the time to consider the other point of view. Ask why a person thinks that way. If you continue to disagree, explain why you feel that way and then move on with your life. It is a waste of time and energy to yell at each other over the internet when no one's mind is going to be changed.
A disagreement should not be looked at as a challenge. A disagreement should be seen as an opportunity. It is an opportunity to educate someone on a point of view different than their own. It is not an opportunity to hurl every insult you can think of.
Moving forward, I hope we can each handle disagreements with respect, instead of hatred. I hope we can remember that we are each individuals, capable of our own opinions. I hope we can remember we are all part of the same nation. I hope we can agree to disagree.
