I’ve grown up in a time where it is unheard of to listen to someone who has a different opinion. The saddest part of all was that I grew up in America. I love my country, and I will forever boast my pride about being an American. But we are supposed to be the best country in the world, yet here in our homeland, we are more divided than ever.
This past week, Keith Lamont Scott was shot by police in the state of North Carolina. Multiple people arrived to mourn the loss of Mr. Scott. What started as a prayer vigil for Keith Lamont Scott turned into a march, ultimately leaving the city of Charlotte in a state of emergency. We take to looting our own stores and killing one another, meanwhile there are brave men and women overseas risking their lives to protect us. The saddest part of all is that we’re killing one another on our own homeland.
We need to seek thoughts and opinions different than our own.
Simple as that. We don’t have to agree with newfound different beliefs, we don’t even have to like them, but at the very minimum, we should at least listen. Everyone believes they are the good guy. How many times have you been in an argument and known that you were wrong? No one believes that they are bad.
Where does that start? Where do we begin to seek ideas that differ from ours? The answer is simple: as soon as you can. Each and every day I am presented with the opportunity to learn where another person is coming from. Take that opportunity. You never know what might come of it.
We need to speak without worry of offending someone.
My generation is notorious for refusing to listen to other ideas. We need ‘safe spaces’ that protect us from all the different ideas that are out there. Stop. New ideas should challenge you. They should present you with new thoughts, not threaten your old ones. If you or your beliefs feel threatened by new opinions, then they are probably shitty ones to begin with.
Our society stereotypes us enough, it’s time we stopped doing it to ourselves. A police officer should not automatically be deemed evil. A young, black male who has grown up on “the wrong side of town” should not automatically be deemed a thug. You should be able to hold a conversation with someone who has different beliefs without it turning into a full out argument. If you can’t do that, you need to reevaluate some aspect of your life. You should be able to say what you want to say without the fear of offending someone.
We need to embrace our differences.
We live in a time where we must tiptoe around diversity as if it is a taboo subject. No one wants to acknowledge the fact that humans are different AND THAT’S OKAY. How can we grow if we never learn to accept one another for who they are?
Discipline needs to be brought back.
My generation, for the most part, is filled with coddled individuals who have never been told no in their lives. They have never known discipline. The result? Entitled 20 something year olds thinking they are above the law, thinking they can do whatever they please and not face the consequences.
Most importantly, God needs to be brought back into school.
But not just my God, the Christian God. Judaism should be taught, along with Islam, Buddhism, and perhaps even Atheism. Children of all different backgrounds should be able to worship freely in the education system. I was lucky to go to a Christian school that enable us to talk freely in class about different religions. Although the majority of the school consisted of Christian kids, I was still able to communicate with those who followed Hinduism, Judaism, and even Atheism. I got the chance to learn from a very young age what it means to respect someone who holds different ideas than myself.
I will forever be proud to be an American. During every single national anthem, you will see me with my hand over my heart and standing. I love my country, as should every American. But somewhere along the line, we lost our America.
