Living in a small mostly republican town has taught me many things about people’s beliefs and how far they’d go for them. With political flags everywhere and stickers criticizing the other side,  it is hard to look past people’s differing views. 

    Before the past few years, I had never seen a single flag or even bumper sticker promoting who a person is voting for or how much they hate the people in power now. Although I believe it is good to be open about what you think and advocate for things you believe in, some of you are going into your beliefs blindly. 

      We have a generation of people brainwashed by what they hear and see.  We have become a generation that advocates for free thinking, but follows what the biggest trend is. Blindly following leaders and worshiping has become cult-like behavior for some of us.

         Many people also never leave the environment in which they live and are not open to listening to anything except what their parents and their peers have to say.  While there is nothing wrong with these influences, they are not the ONLY influences. 

      The question is why people are not open to other ideas. Now I’m not saying that doing this will immediately change how you feel or whose side you’re on,  but maybe it can help you better understand other people’s views on certain situations and circumstances. 

      Instead of constantly bashing what people think, or criticizing who and what they advocate for, why can’t we just look at the other side and accept the differences. Instead of wearing white on a black out day, practice actually respecting others and what they think and their right to express how they feel. If you constantly preach for fairness and not wanting to be looked at differently for your views, you should do the same for others. 

      Constantly threatening people and telling them they are wrong for their beliefs with no real evidence is not political advocacy. The last thing you will accomplish is changing their opinion on a certain situation. Practice having a real, genuine conversation with a person about your differences and why you may feel this way. I guarantee that this will create a better and more welcoming of ideas. 

      When did people’s different views start becoming a threat? I shouldn’t be scared to express how I feel or contain my feelings because of what other people will say or do. Politics should never be violent and aggressive. No one should be scared to voice their opinions or feelings because of where they come from and how the people around them will react. 

      Open your eyes, look around. Embrace the people around you instead of being ignorant and constantly disagreeing. Engage in the important conversations instead of being blind.