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Politics and Activism

I'm Tired Of Laughing It Off

My opinion does not make me stupid, and neither does yours.

Julia Smith

Jan 24, 2017

University of Maine

Darcie Brown

I'm tired of hearing I'm going through a stage. I'm tired of hearing I'll grow out of it. I'm tired of not being taken seriously. I'm tired of laughing off rude remarks.

When it comes to my views on life, it's pretty easy to figure out where I stand. I care deeply when it comes to what I believe in and what I stand for. However, with a big heart comes a lot of disappointment. I often become disappointed to find out that not everyone has the same heart as me, but I now understand that is a part of life. What I don't understand is that some people believe they can treat me like I am less than them just because I have different opinions and views.

Most of the time, I am not treated this way from my peers but instead by adults much older than me. I was raised to treat everyone with respect, (especially people older than me) so when I am treated this way, I have no other choice but to either ignore their comments, or just laugh it off. I like to stand up for what I believe in, but sometimes it's hard to find the fine line between that and sounding disrespectful. I've been told I voted for the wrong person. I've been told I'm just going through a stage and that I will smarten up as I get older. I've been told I don't know enough and that I don't have any responsibilities yet. That is not the case, and for the record, I'm not laughing because I find that funny.

I do my research because I like to know what I'm talking about. Like every other human being, I like to be right. It bothers me more than anything when I am told that an opinion I have is wrong. The interesting thing about opinions is that they are not facts, so they can't be right or wrong.

What's discouraging to me is that as a whole, my political views are thought as to be a stage and that I will grow out of them. I know what I believe in, and I know that will never change. I believe that every human being deserves equal rights and to be treated with respect. I believe everyone deserves the basic right of health care. I believe our country is better because of the variety of races, origins, sexual orientations, religions, etc. My beliefs do not make me stupid.

Although I have mostly liberal views, I can see and agree with different sides. To me, it's so important to stay open-minded, especially with our new president. As a 19 year-old college student, I am able to respect and be open to views and opinions of others, so it's very disheartening when others can't do the same for me. I still don't know nearly enough about politics, and I am still forming new opinions everyday. Even though I am young and have so much room for growth, I like to believe that I have some responsibilities that not many people my age have. I still don't know so much when it comes to politics, but I know for a fact that I would NEVER treat another human being like they are less than me, just because they have different beliefs.

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.

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