This election cycle has been one of the nastiest I have ever witnessed. Trust me I get it, the world is kind of nuts right now and people are scared but does that call for being flat out rude to someone just because they have different beliefs than you do? Now before you say “you are millennial what do you know about this world?”, that is correct I am young, but does that mean I am uneducated, no.

I want to be a journalist but not just any journalist; a political correspondent. I want to be someone who is there trying to make sure that what the people in Congress and the House are saying is actually true. Now I plan to achieve that by studying the history of United States and the Constitution and the legal documents that come with it.

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” The United States Constitution, Amendment 1.

That was taken from my handy pocket Constitution. This is basically saying that Congress cannot make any law that disrespects your religion or inhibits your speech or what it is you are talking about, with some limitations, however. If what you are saying is potentially harmful to others, you can petition the Government to change what is needed to be changed. It also states that you have the right to petition peacefully but let’s get back to that later.

This amendment can be found in every newsroom in the country because they know that it is their duty as a reporter to make sure that the freedom of the press is actually that. This section of the amendment has been tested, for example, in Near v. Minnesota it was found that the government could not read any story prior to printing. This is known as 'prior restraint' and violates the first amendment. New York Times Co. v. Sullivan made it so that in order for a public figure to claim libel, defamation of character, they have to prove it without a shadow of a doubt that actual malice was behind the article; basically the first amendment protects all published statements.

Many Supreme Court cases have come out of the first amendment, but for journalists the most important one would have to be New York Times Co. v. United States or the Pentagon Papers. This case is crucial because it highlights the need for a balance between having a free press and the government protecting national security.

The freedom to protest peacefully: this one in the recent months has been a bit blurred and may be harder to see what it actually means. A peaceful protest is what Martin Luther King Jr. did. He marched with his supports to get the Civil Rights Act of 1964 passed. But Dr. King did not go burn cars or loot stores. Even when he was arrested, assaulted, or had dogs attack him, he never reacted. He used his words or in some cases his silence. He did this and caused no harm to anyone who opposed him. That is what a peaceful protest is.

So yes I am young, but I understand that having different beliefs than those around me is ok. Actually, it is normal. No one is going to have the exact same beliefs as you. That is what makes you, you. So think about that before you go claiming that everyone who supports a certain candidate, doesn’t matter which one, is wrong or evil. I also understand that saying things or doing things that are against a certain religion, ethnic group, or minority is wrong and should not be tolerated. But that does not mean you as an outsider get to cause harm to those whose actions are causing harm, educate them. Show them what these groups really do or are really for, do not do what they would do. Please show kindness and thought in the upcoming months, I promise no matter what happens the United States will survive. We survived a Civil War and many other elections and presidency are that were as disputed as this one.