In height of a charged political atmosphere that we all face quite regularly, we often loose focus of the things below the surface that unite us, whether we wear red or blue. We all stand in the same country, governed by the same federal laws. In these times of chaos and borderline anarchy, we must trace back to the roots that brought us here that make it both easy and possible to express ourselves in just about any way we please: our rights.
Am I really paying homage to the Constitution... really? Yeah, I am.
(try writing a political article nowa days that won't start a Facebook fight)
Maybe you think that we should completely dissemble the Affordable Care Act, and maybe your teacher thinks the idea of being armed is insane. Maybe you can't stand the political talk at the table because you completely disagree with everything your uncle has to say about your state's laws on guns.
Yeah, that's a lot to think about. And yeah... we don't have answers to most of those issues.
But maybe we should spend a little less time focusing on things that so clearly divide us. Do you ever just walk down the street, and stop and think about how lucky you are, to be where you are, just crossing the street, in your new shoes, on your way to class?
At the end of the day, you can think and believe and feel however you want to. There's no one to stop you and tell you that you can't be whatever you want to be. We have the freedom to object to the things that society wants us to accept; we do not have to sit back and accept the things that we see.
With this, comes the turmoil of over-active opinions and hyper-sensitivity, but that was something that we all, together, decided was worth the price of freedom.
We see a new rally or protest held just about everyday- a new speech on Women's Reproductive Rights or a heated Press Conference on foreign affairs. The beauty in all of this is probably a little bit more significant than the fact that I can tell just about anyone, anywhere, at any point in time how strongly I believe in Policy A, B, or C, but the fact that I can do so at no real cost. Maybe this article would be more flashy if I wrote about my actual feelings on policy or a criticism of our President. But it's the fact that I can sit here, and write about whatever I want; it's the fact that I CAN.
Like any good thing, this is taken for granted. The next time you get into a political fight, vote, or object to any of the things that you see and don't agree with, remember that it is with privilege that we get to do such things. Maybe it isn't always about the fight, but about the fact that we have the opportunity to let our voices be heard.
