Remember that time in the second grade when you learned the difference between facts and opinions? Mrs. So-and-so sat you down on her pre-school play rug in front of an easel that read "Facts vs Opinions." Once everyone was nice and quiet, Mrs. So-and-so started by saying, "Good morning, class! It's 9 o'clock in the morning. That is a fact. I love the color purple! That is an opinion."
Do you see how simple that concept is? It's so simple, in fact, that it can be taught to children in elementary school. Now, since this is so elementary, I'm confused why people my age, younger and older, have not yet grasped the concept.
Surrounding topics like the upcoming election, legalizing gay marriage and the recent police shootings, which often correspond with the Black Lives Matter movement, people love to express what they believe to be fact publicly, usually via Facebook. In doing this, oftentimes they are shaming other people for what they post on their personal Facebook pages because it does not coincide with their beliefs. Frankly, I am appalled by the backlash my Facebook friends are receiving for posting their beliefs on their personal pages.
Of course, I understand that the internet is kind of like one massive open forum, but that doesn't mean that you need to tell someone that their opinion is wrong. Just to solidify the definition of an opinion: opinions cannot be wrong. An opinion is an opinion for a reason. It is a personal belief that may or may not be shared between a pair or a group of individuals.
So, it's great that you think that a certain candidate is our "only" choice for the presidential election, but I may not! And, I am definitely not going to yell at you in the comments of the article you posted on your Facebook that "proves" it to be true. There is no point in me wasting my metaphorical breath over an issue that isn't really an issue because it's only an opinion.
Opinion are not facts and they shouldn't be treated as such. If someone states a fact incorrectly, (politely) correct them. But, there is, and will never be, an instance where anyone should feel the need to "correct" someone's opinion.
Newsflash: It's not possible.
