America is only as great as the people who speak the loudest. In order to make this country in the image that you think it should be made in, in order to be heard in the cacophony of sentiments all around you, you must first own your voice, and secondly give your voice. This, I think, is why I think we should all be writing. No matter what “side” you’re on (which is a divisive way of looking at things because there really are so many perspectives at play here), you should think about what you stand for. What issues do you care about, if any? Are you unsure about where you stand on something? How do you feel about people’s reactions to current events? Write about it. Write about it on a standard sheet of paper, not on your Facebook wall. That piece of paper offers protection from judgement of any kind. Through the written word, you can often find new ways of thinking, and by wielding language yourself, you can discover a voice that is all your own. Once you’ve found that voice, having discussions with others is the best way to give that all-important piece of yourself to the world.
Whether you’re in pain or empowered, recording it can be a means of personal growth and commemoration. And in a bigger way, your voice gets added to history. Write songs, poetry, diary entries- anything. This world needs more people who are conscious of themselves, who care about why they do the things they do and believe the things they believe.
Some will ask: “Should I be writing about something if I haven’t researched it? What good does it do if I’m not particularly good at writing? Am I allowed to write about sensitive issues if I am of a privileged disposition?” My answer to these questions is: Write anyway, from exactly the vantage point you have right now. Because, at the very least, you’ll look back and see an opinion that will probably change in some way throughout the progression of your life.
I recently experienced this when I scrapped an entire article that I wrote in high school, something that I held dear to my heart because it represented my black sheep (aka moderate) views. I had been arguing that some of the views held by other students about a specific example of cultural appropriation were hypocritical, hypersensitive, and misinformed. I felt that they were proponents of racism against white people in an effort to support black people, which I found ironic and frustrating. I realized after doing more research (with tools that I didn’t have in high school) that I was the misinformed one, which hurt a little. It hurt to know that a conviction I was so passionate about was based on a lack of understanding rather than on insight. I no longer had a firm stance on the issue, and this left me feeling like I was floating in a headspace that made me “ignorant” and “wrong”.
Everyone is ignorant about certain things and “wrong” is a relative term. I was inspired to write this article after that, which may be of more use to people than that article ever could have been. Checking my facts after writing something has been the most useful way to improve the depth and accuracy of political conversations I engage in. Not only could writing your opinion cause you to learn more about the stances you take, but it can help you process feelings surrounding these sentiments that could be weighing down on you or revealing an important truth to you.
For many, sitting down to write and think about your values doesn’t feel active enough. But there is a second piece to finding your voice, and that is giving your voice. Notice I refrained from using the word “sharing”, as it seems that almost everybody is displaying their opinions on social media. I’m suggesting a different way of sharing, that of actually having a conversation and possibly being vulnerable to criticism and disagreement.
Consider it this way: every social interaction you ever have educates the people involved. In this light, having such interactions frequently and peacefully is more important than ever. Hostile feelings from all political perspectives have been wedging people apart recently, making them feel “in the right” when it comes to shutting out the other side’s opinions. But by doing this, we shrink the amount of knowledge we can gain from social interactions- our Facebook feeds and conversations circle around the same facts, the same opinions, and we become delusional in how we see the state of our country versus what that state actually is.
Ignorance is a terrifyingly simple way to find yourself under someone else’s control and without your own voice. That’s why I think it’s more important than ever to talk to the “other side”, whatever the other side(s) might mean for you. At the very least, you’ll become better at arguing for what you believe in. The result might also surprise you. You might find more commonalities than you expected and in places you didn’t expect.
I recently experienced this while talking to a Trump supporter that I grew up with. We both came together over our mutual distrust of mainstream media and at one point we were able to discuss how much kindness means to us. I didn’t expect to have these fundamental ideas in common with her, and it dawned on me that it is entirely possible to teach one another about where we’re coming from. The question “in what world does that person live that makes their beliefs correct?” can guide you to answering any number of questions about why things are the way they are in a vast assortment of contexts and why people believe what they do. After all, there is nothing to be understood in silence, nor are any minds changed by staying silent.
The one guarantee is that all people involved in this kind of discourse (or any for that matter) will learn, and no matter where you stand, that’s a very powerful thing. So let’s learn again. And again and again and again, because that’s how progress is made. Go get yourself a voice that shares all that you’ve learned. And go write.
