I am what many people like to call a liberal "snowflake." For some reason, I am supposed to feel ashamed of myself for identifying as such.
Coming from a small town in central Minnesota, I grew up in a fairly conservative environment. The only establishments that could match the number of churches we had were the bars. And on our final day of our senior year, we rode tractors to school. We didn't have much diversity in any sense of the word. Our population was predominantly white, heterosexual, and Christian. It is absolutely a wonderful place to grow up in, small and comfortable. It does, however, have its difficulties if you identify outside of the normal characteristics of our citizens.
Needless to say, a large majority of the people in my life, whether it be friends and acquaintances from my hometown or immediate and distance relatives, share significantly different viewpoints than I do. It can be tough.
Growing up, I had constantly been told that I had a knack for being a people person. Since I could talk, I would always engage in "adult conversations" and this apparently was one of my most impressive qualities as a child. Fast forward, and I have continuously been referred to as charismatic, outgoing, caring, and far more mature than anyone my age. Now nothing's necessarily changed, yet suddenly my love for all people is being shamed.
Being a liberal now seems to be the butt of many jokes. We are often painted as overemotional, oversensitive, and chronically misinformed.
I have to wonder: is this really the individual image that my loved ones have chosen to give to me? Nobody deserves to be generalized, and if they can see that I am more than just a singular part of my identity, why is it so difficult to realize other people of other walks of life are the same: complex and diverse and full of so much to offer.
With our country's current political climate, generalizations of different groups of individuals are constantly being thrown at each other. Whether it be based upon race, religion, sexuality, or political affiliation, we are at war among ourselves. The outcomes are incredibly frightening. It's been nothing but heart-wrenching to see so many people who have been close to me my whole life lash out with their opinions of others. This is predominantly done by means of social media, specifically Facebook. My heart breaks with every post that is targeted against a certain group of people, yet at the same time, I am inspired to be a part of the change that will help people realize that not everyone identifies with their negative stereotypes. So why punish them all, right?
I am incredibly proud to say that I have immersed myself in a diverse group of friends and loved ones who have proven to me that our interpersonal relationships as human beings transcends any sort of labels that we have given ourselves in society.
My undocumented friends have shown me more love and compassion than the majority of my own family, and have welcomed me into theirs as one of their own.
My Muslim friends have faced more violence and ridicule than anyone I know, yet they are most kind-hearted individuals I have ever met.
One of my closest friends is literally always there for me with support and advice and love, and she also happens to be black.
A Christian family adopted me, an openly gay man, and has shown me the true meaning of family and the love that exists within that word.
What I've come to learn is this: regardless of the actions of the few, they do not represent the actions of the many. No one is any better than another. That is why I'll always stand by my views as a proud liberal snowflake.
