A wise man once said, “You know what happens when you assume…. You make an ass out of you and me.”

I’m sure we’ve all assumed things. In fact, we do so on a daily basis. We assume there will be traffic in the morning so we leave a little early. We assume we’ll have to leave about a 20 percent tip at a restaurant so we make sure we have enough cash; we simply have to assume some things to function in society. These normal, everyday assumptions don’t do much harm. It’s when we start assuming things about people, their backgrounds, their beliefs and their personalities that it becomes an issue.

With the upcoming election, people make assumptions all the time about who supports who and why. I witnessed this first hand on Facebook.

It sparked my interest because I, too, dislike Tomi Lahren. Haley then elaborated why she dislikes her in the comments section.

I responded with a "Retweet!" followed by a clapping emoji because I totally understand where Haley, a fellow aspiring journalist, comes from. Our comments were then replied to by a woman who had this to say:

“Racism is alive and well and don't think for one second that many people (regardless of color) use it to their advantage. Especially in this country. To say that blacks don't is plain ignorance and sounds like left wing lunacy. Many young people think "Bernie" was the answer... wake up. He's not. Our choices are not good but before you vote- or spew against Republicans- educate yourselves.” - Unnamed woman on Facebook.

Wait, what? Was Bernie Sanders mentioned in this? Was this anti-republican? Did it even discuss Tomi's points and what I or Haley thought about them? To me, this was anti-Tomi Lahren and her approach to journalism. Examples of this type of “reporting” could be found for broadcasters and reporters on virtually any news station. However, this post focuses on Tomi’s.

It focuses on the fear that if people only want to watch the talking heads - the exciting ones who keep you on the edge of your seat with their theatrics and raised vocal levels- that nonpartisan journalism will soon no longer have a place in this nation. It is the fear that the public will become so wrapped up in hearing their ideals blurted back at them, like a talking mirror, that they will not be open to hearing things only based on facts; they will not be interested in hearing the real news.

I can attest to that fear. I know people who only get their news from MSNBC or FOX. I try to explain that they either need to take a moment to switch to the opposite ideology’s station to hear their side, or check out a nonpartisan station. This way, they will not only hear what they want to hear, but they will hear challenging opinions and reasoning or the blunt reality of what is going on. From there they can make, a proper, educated opinion.

However, sticking to our own ideas simply perpetuates them, no matter how wrong they may be, and fills the country with truly uneducated voters.

This is what the post and comments were about. It wasn’t about Bernie, or Republicans, or even politics really. It was about the fate of nonpartisan journalism in America. Yet, this woman made an assumption and tried to tell me as a supporter of Haley's comment, to educate myself on a topic I wasn’t even talking about. How does she know who I support? How does she know how many law and government classes I took before this point? Does she know if I agree or disagree with Tomi's points? How does she know where I get my news or what I believe… Oh wait, she doesn’t.

News flash people: I can be anti-Tomi Lahren and not be anti-Republican. I can be pro-gun control and not be anti-guns. I can be a journalist and not give my opinion in a piece. I can believe anything I want, and you can’t make an assumption about what that means about my other beliefs and values. People do not fit in a cookie-cutter mold. Just as not all Muslims are terrorists and not all white people are racist assholes, you cannot assume that because I am one thing, that it leads to another. Humans do not follow a mathematical equation or a chemical formula. Adding two atoms of hydrogen and one atom of oxygen will always give you water, but there is no certainty like that in humanity. The world is always changing just as people and their beliefs are.

So the next time you try to pick a war with me in Facebook comments, promise me two things. First, promise, you’ll actually read my post. Promise you will watch any videos or read any articles I share and truly comprehend what they're saying. Secondly, do your own research. Don’t come at me with an artillery of opinions and finger pointing without presenting me with facts or solutions. Don’t just name drop events or people thinking that it makes your argument stronger without actually understanding what you’re saying. I would be happy to have a conversation with you -preferably not in the comments like people begging for attention- about your beliefs and the grounds upon which you built them. However, I will not entertain small-minded people who make grand assumptions and judgments without proper reasoning.

I would tell you to educate yourself and open your own mind before telling me to do so, but I don't want to assume anything.