As I read and listen to the people around me, I am baffled by how opinionated our nation has become. I am amazed at how loudly individuals scream out to be heard and for their views to be counted as right and good. It doesn't matter whether or not their opinion is actually a good one, they scream out viciously to be recognized. I am not an expert in the social sciences, but I do not believe that posting a few enraged statuses or sharing a few political pictures is going to change the situation you are so upset about.
Now certainly, we have freedom of speech and ought to use this freedom, but that doesn't give us an excuse to slander others in disrespect and be arrogant in our own opinions...even if we're right!
I might just be more idealistic than most of the people I know, but I do not understand what moves someone to say or write some of the things that I see. There used to be such a thing as honor, integrity, and self-respect in one's actions, but every day I see people around me selling those values just to have their opinion heard, no matter the cost.
What they fail to see is that the delivery is just as important and influential as the content itself. Very often these days, I see stuff written on the internet that I agree with, but am ashamed about how it was said. We would trade the heart of truth for some wrapping that makes it stand out and forces people to take notice; even if that wrapping is inappropriate, offensive beyond necessity, or outright arrogant.
There are many hot issues out there today that just about anyone can scroll down a Facebook newsfeed and see. Whether the argument is ObamaCare, the quality of POTUS, our economic status, our foreign policies, our individual religious or political leanings, there are a lot of people out there with a lot of opinions. And there are many people out there with very good opinions that are being shared in very disrespectful ways...and we wonder why nobody listens?
I'll give you a couple of examples that I deal with personally. President Obama. Obviously, there are many opinions circling around him and his ability to lead. His policies, his background, even his personal life, are all up for debate. Personally, I did not vote him into office and I'm still not a fan. I know many people who would agree with this and I know there are many other people in the country who still like President Obama and support him and his decisions.
However! My opinion of the president does not give me the freedom to say whatever I want about him. The fact that I disagree with most of his presidential decisions doesn't mean I ought to disrespect him and the office he holds. Whether I like it or not, Mr. Obama is the President of the United States and that warrants him authority and respect. Our freedom of speech gives us a right, even a mandate to share our opinions and our desires as individuals and a nation, but we go too far when we forget virtues like honor and respect when we throw our temper tantrums publicly and without regard for anyone but ourselves.
Another example. I am a Christian and I hold to the Bible being the word of God. I believe that the word of God holds the utmost authority in my life and that the God who authored it is my God and is in control over everything. I recognize that this kind of view is narrow and is not shared, nor welcomed, by many in my society. Obviously, I hold to my opinion that my truth is right and anyone else's is wrong.
However! My being a Christian doesn't give me the right to "Bible bash" people over the head because they see things differently. I dishonor God and myself when I speak to others with hate and condemnation. It doesn't matter if what I say is truth when I discredit myself and my views in the way that I express them!
My opinion, your opinion...is it really that important? The need to be heard to satisfy that egotistical side of yourself does not do you any favors. What DOES matter is what we stand for. The idea we represent. Whether that idea is something spiritual, political, or physical, it is worth defending and worth defending honorably.
So when you speak, I challenge you to consider what your end game is. Are you speaking because it satisfies you to vent on Facebook about whatever is upsetting you? Do you think your venting is really going to change the situation?
Or are you speaking because you see an ideal that you love and support being threatened and you want to defend it? Remember, even in the defense of something worth fighting for, we can still discredit ourselves by our conduct.
Values like honor, integrity, and respect are becoming harder and harder to find in the many views and opinions circulating our society. And more and more, what we think becomes less and less relevant when we sell the integrity of our words for the sake of being heard and noticed.
Please. Be part of the solution. Do not sell away your reputation with others for the chance to vent and attack someone or something with your opinions. Remember your honor. Respect yourself and offer others that same respect, even when they don't act in a way that deserves it. Be someone of fairness and integrity. That matters much more than any individual opinion.
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