I am a fairly well-educated nineteen year old girl, and like most people, I have numerous socio-political views that I feel strongly about. However, I rarely, if ever, post my thoughts, opinions, reactions, etc. about these socio-political topics on my social media accounts.
For one, I do not want to start problems or create unnecessary drama. Another reason for my silence is that I personally do not think that social media is a great platform to educate or inform others; Facebook and Twitter are not exactly the perfect classroom in such grand debates. But as I scrolled through my own Facebook account tonight, I was overwhelmingly offended by some of the comments from a citizen (who shall not be named) who apparently attended the same public school district as me.
Before I get into this discussion, I would just like to kindly state that I mean no harm or disrespect, especially since this seems to be a touchy subject- but I just cannot seem to help myself anymore. I can no longer bite my tongue. Here we go...
Not all Muslims are terrorists.
Now, I am not Muslim myself, nor am I Christian, Catholic, or Atheist. I am just me, and if anything, I consider myself to be Agnostic. But this isn't really about Muslims, it's about stereotypes.
It genuinely hurts my heart to see people write or say that "All Muslims are terrorists" or "Muslims are America's #1 problem" because in my opinion, that simply is not true. Not only this, but it would bother me if any group was denounced in such a way.
To say that one grouping, or faction of people is one thing or another is just plain stereotyping. It's wrong. It's hurtful and insulting to people of all ages, ethnicities, cultures, races, genders, etc. Now, I really do not want to dive into anything deeper than this, because I am trying to avoid any arguments or negative comments. People are free to believe what they want, 100%. All I am saying is that the ways where people state their opinions can often be considered offensive or racist.
Without regard to any other political issues- vote for who you want, make your own decisions, be free. But, be careful of what you say. This is not an argument or even an article about Muslims in particular, it is about stereotyping, which is the bigger problem in this picture.
Again, all of which is said above is my personal opinion and beliefs. It has just gotten to the point where it is extremely difficult for me to scroll through my social media accounts without having to read such negative or discriminatory comments. I understand the greatness and power in freedom of speech and expression, this is just a friendly reminder to be courteous and thoughtful of others, even if you feel passionate about a certain topic. Thank you.