This article will most likely offend you or open your eyes.

The former will not make me interrupt my thoughts for your sake nor will your reactions cause me to regret this following passage:

In our new social age, trends are set fast via social media. Groups are formed over like interests with people from all over the world. Anyone can voice their opinion. Thus, our society has become more democratic. We have to power to influence politicians and corporations with our words that are shared with more people than was ever imaginable before. Likes, reposts, retweets, follows, and comments are our affirmation that people listen to what we say.

There is no real requirement to post, besides lying about your age to sign up. That means people with biased and uneducated views can share their voice to the masses. People can critique and troll without any knowledge on the topic being discussed. Opinions that defame a certain group or claim to have the answers you are looking for can spread like wildfire. Much nonsense is out there. More nonsense than fact and educated opinion.

A large part of this "nonsense" are the quibbles of the offended. If the United States Constitution has any meaning any more, the First Amendment should still be respected to for our society to continue to grow as a democracy. That being said, I must say that I will never be in favor of censoring those who disgruntled the words and opinions of others. You have the right to be offended. Though, I do have a problem with your sense of entitlement.

First off, by asking someone to refrain from using certain words or to have certain opinions disregards the First Amendment. This era of political correctness has gone too far. Unless you are a social media fiend, you will never know all the newfangled definitions of words and contexts in which they could be used. It was yook a rare Shakespearean character to create new words and givr them meaning. Now, new words are created daily, or their meanings are exchanged. Social media exponentially expands the acceotsnce of these new words. Though not all of us are connected as much as these savvy bloggers who update the social world constantly. If one pwrson van shift definitions around, it can easily be shifted by another. Subcultures and microcultures--small groups of friends or extended but close parties-- will have varying definitions of words and their on slang. To believe you have the authority to control the use of a word is absurd.

Let's take the word faggot for example. The situation is this: a homosexual man overhears a person, let's call them Alex, use the word faggot. So he asks the Alex to refrain from using that word because it offends him. This intrusion results in a fight-- verbal or physical it does not matter. Why does the gay man think he has the right to censor Alex because he was offended? In the eyes of the homosexual man it is offensive because someone who had a problem with gays called him a faggot in a derogatory way and continued to harass the homosexual man.

To paraphrase Thomas Jefferson, a person has unlimited freedom up until the point he takes the freedom of another away. In the situation where the bigot called the homosexual man a faggot he overstepped his rights. Alex does not use the word faggot as a slandering word for gays. Alex and her/his friends use the word to describe a person who dresses a certain way. They use faggot just as a descriptive word but not meaning to belittle the person they call a faggot. Now, faggot has been used to refer to a bundle of sticks and cigarettes. Alex has her/his own definition. No one should censor Alex for using it because the mere word offends them.

Sticks and stones may break my bones but words may never hurt me. Well it seems that words have a pretty powerful impact on people. Even if they aren't intended to harm. Calling out someone for using a word because you have an issue with it just makes you seem weak. Possibly giving others a reason to not like you. believe it or not people generalize. When they see a whole group becoming offended over words they begin to have a dislike for that group. You have the right to be offended, but let me warn you that the impact of your disgruntled tangents may make your predicament worse.

While using Odyssey I've seen people become offended. Disgusted at the top article displayed in the cover page. Then demand for censorship of the articles that conflict with their views. These people accused Odyssey of promoting distillate and controversial views. Even after our editor explained articles that become cover stories are selected by an algorithm that takes into account views and shares.after not adhering to rational though they left the Odyssey team. Ultimately they censored their own thoughts and forfeited to the antithetical article. Another incident where the offended had belittled their cause because they could not control their emotional outlash.

We do not live in a perfect world where everyone holds hands and sings songs of friendship with each other. People will have their own opinions which may run contrary to that of their neighbors. If thought did not vary their would be progress, no excitement in life. No worldviews are perfect. We must fight for what we think is right but that does not mean we can tread on others. Becoming offended over little things only creates conflict and does not resolve the situation. Sometimes it is your own perspective which much change. You have the right to be offended, but others have the right to their opinion too.

Sincerely,

A person who cares