Maybe it's just how I have been raised. Maybe it's because of the line of work that I have decided to be a part of. Maybe it's because of where I decided to go to school or what I decided to study for four years. Maybe it has been sparked due to recent events. Whatever the reason is, I have decided that I will not stand down when it comes to issues of injustice.

When I was younger many opinions flooded around me, and still do, especially when it comes to my family life. Of course, when it came to these issues, I did not have the knowledge or the understanding of the issues to speak my mind. I often found myself just staying silent because I didn't know what was going on or because it didn't feel right to speak to my family, especially my elders, about the stuff I didn't know.

Growing up, this same principle would be in effect for my friends or even teachers that I didn't know how to speak my mind about issues that I might not agree with, or even understand fully and just wanted to learn more about. I found this to be very true in classes. I would participate when I needed to, but I certainly didn't speak out whenever I had a statement or question in my mind.

However, it was probably about the time I was finishing my high school career that I learned that I could speak up and it wouldn't be a bad thing. I gained knowledge about the issues, and if I didn't have the full information I would try to be understanding and ask questions and then form my own opinion from there.

Now, years later, I am really not afraid to speak my mind about controversial issues. I like to think that I make an informed opinion, for the most part, and am able to portray that opinion in an educated and eloquent way. Of course, this is always easier when it is over some sort of textual medium, because you are able to think fully about the sentences you are creating, delete the stuff that you don't want to include and just make your statement makes sense. But when it comes to speaking with another person, face to face, it takes a lot more effort and thought to make the same eloquent point. It takes a while to actually form a thought that is clear and concise.

What I'm really trying to say is that, I think at this point in my life I shouldn't be afraid to speak my mind. Especially when I try to always be respectful with those that I am talking to. Everyone has their opinion, and just because I find my opinion to be of a higher standard or maybe even "more right" that doesn't mean that they can't have their own thoughts and probably think the same thing about my thoughts.

But I will no longer let myself be bullied into thinking things that I don't think are truthful. I like to have facts and sources that inform me and how I think. I try to use these sources as a way of further expanding my argument or thought. I won't use it verbatim, but I do use it as a source, almost like a back-up. I will put links in my comments to show that if the person I am talking with is actually interested to see where my thoughts come from, they can actually go and see it.

I will make statements that will probably upset other people. I will defend my loved ones and other groups of people that are being unfairly criticized or have prejudices held against them. I will try to understand my privilege and try to understand where the other person is coming from. I will do what I can to try to make people understand where I am coming from. I will try to be respectful of other people's opinions, even if they differ from my own. I will stand up for what I believe in.

I will not back down.