Every day we as a society seem to become more and more divided. Media portrayal of any issue seems to always be an "us versus them" dialogue: police versus minorities, politicians versus the people, men versus women, the list goes on. Every political ideology seems to have become a team, and if you're not with them you're against them.
Black Lives Matter is a movement many would support in theory. Not killing black people is something a majority of society can agree upon. However, many who stand against racial violence do not support Black Lives Matter as a movement. Not standing with a specific movement can put you against them in the societal eye.
A similar thing can be seen with feminism. Most men I know fully and genuinely believe women should be equal and most of these men agree that women so often are not equal. However, few men I know would openly identify as feminists. Sure, the word has taken many meanings, some of which are less true to the ideals of equality. Unfortunately, if a man does not identify as a feminist many will default to thinking he is against equality among genders.
Social justice should not be a competition. Political stances should never be us versus them. Your political identity is an individual stance, something to be your own. Nobody should vilify you for your opinions, you are not your opinions. Opinions can change while the person remains the same. Politics is not a team sport, it is unfortunate that most of American history has shaped us to think that way.
If you live life only among those who agree with you on everything you will never develop as a person. Life is pointless if you refuse to challenge yourself. Think differently, do right by your heart, but keep an open mind to the hearts of others. Love one another, even if you can find no common ground. Hate will only seperate you further.
