"Vote because it is the most important election, but if you do not vote for who I want, we are not friends." Lately, I have been very disturbed by the posts on social media about this election from our generation. I am a big advocate for expressing one's opinion and encouraging others to make a difference. There is a problem when this expression or encouragement comes at the cost of another. The silence of a political view does not solve anything, it just goes unheard.
We can never say that a person is right or wrong, but we can stand up for what we believe in to bring awareness. Recently, many of the points made, politically, are not the promotion of one candidate, but the bringing down of another. We should not be striving for a better America; we need to strive for the best America. What is the best America? That is a question one must ask themselves, but we must understand that we will not all agree. It does not mean that anyone's opinion is invalid or "absurd." There needs to be respectful conversations when there is a disagreement. Putting down the views of another is ineffective and disrespectful.
I find it very refreshing and progressive to see young adults, like me, being advocates for getting out there and voting. Having your voice, somewhat heard, at a young age is really important for our country. There is, however, especially with this election, a threat tone to many of the posts trying to get our generation to vote. It seems that we do not just want people to vote, but we want them to vote for a specific candidate. There is a difference between voicing an idea and threatening a person. I have seen many college students and even adults threaten to "hate" or "unfriend" those who do not agree with them. This is a very oppressive and aggressive way to say you do not agree. Scrolling through Facebook, I find myself both disgusted and angered by many of the people I consider friends. This is not because I do not agree with them; a lot of the time, I actually, most of the time agree with their views. It is the way they disregard and disrespect the views of others that is upsetting. A person's morals, intelligence, or ethnicity should NEVER be attacked when purely stating that you do not see eye to eye with them.
In a country where freedom of speech is so valued, I find it hard to see people my age limiting that right to others. No one should ever be afraid to voice their concerns and ideas because the opposition is more intimidating. Sit back, listen, and understand that everyone has a different view. Just because it is not the same as yours does not make them a "horrible person." With that being said, on November 8th, vote for the candidate that exemplifies the America YOU wish to see in the future.
