Growing up in America as a teen girl right now has taught me that theres to different types of people. The people who have different views as you and will accept that and the people who will sit and scream at you for not having the same views. These people can be placed in two different categories. In one column labeled dissent and the other disagreement. One placed in the column disagreement will not take into consideration that young woman have a say in politics and have that ability to understand, instead they will sit there and scream in your face “wrong”. One in the dissent column with sit and listen while still firing back with their valid argument. Dissent and disagreement are two totally different words and both come with a different affect. Dissent has the effect of progression, where disagreement gets people no where.
Dissent is to officially hold an opinion. This simply means that you as a human being have formed an idea. You took the brain capacity to come up with an idea due to evidence or experience and believe that, that idea is true. For example, when you hear about a problem such as abortion you chose to be either pro-choice or pro-life. You didn't come up with the answer “well it depends”. Dissent is not only a word but a basic human right, that thankfully we have in America. The word dissent is described in our first amendment where we have a freedom of speech and the press. We as human beings were given the gift to think and formulate our own ideas, having an opinion is a basic human right. Dissent lets people be hear and new ideas be formulated.
Disagreement however is you taking someone else option and saying no. No is your option on there option, but you however can not say that someones option is invalid. That is breaking basic human violations. There is a difference between fact and option, you are allowed to prove a fact wrong but can not say that an option is invalid. People feel the need to form an argument most of the time around the person rather than the topic of the argument itself. This is disagreement rather then dissent. If a five year old boy claims his favorite color is pink, you as his classmates parents have no right to tell his parents you disagree with their choice of being okay with that. Disagreement silences the amazing people to let their voices be heard. IF everything anyone has to say is going to be shut down the world will never progress.
Dissent has lead to women’s rights and and gay marriage. With out dissent people will not experience new things and hear other sides. Children skipping over life lessons because their state legislature doesn'tbelieve a book is appropriate won’t lead to progression. A teachers disagreement with other religions should not lead to students being closed off to diversity. Schools should be teaching the future of America by expressing all the opinions out there. When teaching American history children should be taught both sides feelings during a war. Children should be taught dissent, therefore children will be being taught progression.
“Every state in America, the greatest lessons, are the ones you don’t remember learning” a quote from young poets who understand that school is not only a place for facts, but a place for experiences. Students should be rewarded and taught to formulate ideas and create their own thoughts. However, the government disagrees and we are teaching our children what to think instead of how. Dissent verses disagreement is simply what is to come verse what we have now.
Sheetal Tadiparty
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