As I scroll through my social media everyday, I see something new that people are discussing that's going on in our world today. The other day, I came across a post where a woman shared her opinion on gender roles and how she feels they exist today. Her insight was great, and although there were some claims she made that I didn't agree with, I still enjoyed to hear her story and her thoughts. I then read the comments that followed her post, and I was appalled. People were sharing their disagreements with her, which is absolutely fine, but how they went about it was horrific. People were ridiculing her, bashing her, insulting her, calling her names, etc. Seeing this outraged me. I continued to look for other posts like hers and read the following comments and noticed that this pattern was occurring on all of them. It sparked something in me and I feel it's necessary to share my opinion on this, which is simply to stop.

One of the rights we have as citizens of the United States that is embedded in the Constitution is our freedom of speech. I think all of us would agree that this is a right our founding fathers provided us that we enjoy having and exercise regularly. I feel this is a right we have abused. Before reading any further, understand that I do encourage all people to come forward and express their opinions and feelings. However, I think it needs to be done appropriately, which from what I've noticed, it hasn't been in some cases. There are many controversial topics that have came up, especially this year's presidential election. People are entitled to their opinions, and I think that's something many of us have lost understanding of. Every single person has their own unique set of values and moral codes that is specific to them and no other person shares the exact same values and beliefs as you do. Although, you may not agree with them, just like you, they are allowed to have them and share them if they please. Just because they do not match yours does not make them wrong, that just makes them different. I'm tired of seeing someone share their opinions and feelings on a subject, and then others jumping in ridiculing and criticizing them, calling them stupid and telling them to shut up because they're "wrong." No, that is their opinion. They are not wrong. Here's my opinion: YOU are wrong. Not in reference to your opinion, but how you so poorly represent your opinion by shutting down theirs.

The flow of diverse thoughts, opinions, and ideas is what keeps, not just this country, but the world itself, still going. If we only listened to the thoughts of one person, there would be no progression of any form. With that being said, I ask everyone to do this: when you hear someone's opinion that does not match your own, don't dismiss it or shut it down immediately. Be open to it and listen. I don't mean just hear it, I mean actually absorb what they're saying and try to understand. Everyone comes from different backgrounds and lifestyles that have influenced that opinion. The other person may have considered an element of that opinion that you may have missed. Do not criticize, but challenge their opinions. Ask questions and provide your thoughts and information, but do so respectfully. Criticizing and ridiculing may discourage them from speaking up again. Less and less people will come forward and this flow of thoughts, ideas, and opinions will slowly decline, and so will progression. We all need to accept and understand one another, because if we don't, in my opinion, we will all fall apart.