We are lucky here in America. Our Constitution states that our government does not have the right to come after us if they don't like something we say. It seems, in this post-facts era, that we have forgotten that. No person involved in the government has the right to come after us for something we say. That being said, that doesn't mean that someone can't disagree. It feels like people make that mistake a lot these days. For example, the take a knee protests. The people that decided to protest have that right. The government can't arrest them, or do anything to prevent that. But they can however, disagree. And they have been, vehemently.
Now, earlier this year there were some awful protests in Charlottesville, VA. Now, it makes me sick to say it, but those "alt-right" (read: Nazi) protesters have a right to protest the removal of a statue. What they do not have the right to do is to end someone's life and injure people in the process of their protest. My stomach turned at the thought of our President saying that there were good people on both sides, when one side knowingly murdered a woman in cold blood because she didn't agree with what they were saying.
In order to cling to sanity in these insane times, I've been finding comfort in political satire. Namely "The Daily Show," and Hasan Minhaj. Now he spoke at the White House Press Correspondents Dinner, and after the fact, he did an interview on the radio. He said, "This country is a marketplace of ideas. Everyone has the right to share theirs, but we all hope the best one will rise to the top." This is what I think is the crux of the issue. There are a ton of voices out there in the world. It seems that the loudest ones, right or wrong, are getting all of the attention. While I know that all of America will never agree on anything, I don't think it's unreasonable to think that majority should rule. But because of the echo chamber that is social media, and our president these days, this marketplace of ideas is being flooded with counterfeit money.
In order to flush out all of the bad money, or ideas, in this case, we need to stop fighting and find the things we agree on. I don't think any of us will be successful in this marketplace if we keep shouting into the void. Sit down, have conversations, and make sure to remember that we are all human beings and we all want something similar: the world to be a better place than it was before.
