Since the conventions happened, everyone seems to have become much more comfortable attacking people who oppose them. So, I pose the question: Why does who we’re voting for matter more than treating people with respect and kindness? We were all given the right to vote, and no one else’s opinions matter because it is our own vote. If we don’t agree with each other, it is not up to you to try and convince me otherwise. I’m an adult who is fully capable of educating myself on such a serious matter as the election. Your perspective does not equal mine, and it’s time to stop pretending everyone should think the same.

We are not robots. We cannot be programmed or rebooted until we produce the result you want. The idea that you can yell and shout your views with the intention of changing people's minds is a tad absurd.

Trump and Hillary supporters alike have developed sound reasoning for their opinion. We understand what we are doing. We are not taking the decision lightly. We’ve researched their politics and what their core values are, and we are prepared to make our own decisions.

Making jokes about politics is fine. If you think Trump is a joke or Hillary is a liar, that's fine. However, don't expect a great response when you accuse people of being stupid or insult their intelligence based solely on their political affiliations. You’re the problem in this situation, not them.

Also, if you come across a person who has not made a decision, or has chosen a third party candidate, you can feel free to talk to them or see if they have any questions about why you are voting the way you are, but it is not your job to push them in a certain direction. Let them know the facts, not your opinions, but the facts.

In such a tumultuous world, it is vital that we all stand together, not find reasons to tear ourselves apart even more than we already do. Politics should not continue to be a taboo subject that we avoid talking about, but it should rather become a topic in which we can engage in conversations and really make the effort to learn from one another. Once we agree to disagree, our worlds can be opened up to so much more than just hate and stereotypes about those who do not share our worldviews.

It is our responsibility, and our responsibility alone, to control the conversations we engage in. We should educate, not dictate, and let people find their own paths and forge their own ideas. Only then can the world become a place of acceptance and tolerance. We are more complex than our political views, and we are more than who we are voting for.