Every person on this planet has their own set of beliefs about life, society, politics, etc. Most people claim that the difference of opinion is a wonderful thing. People are encouraged to speak up about a topic because hearing different sides can help with diversity of conversation. However, often other people’s views are degraded instead of treated with tolerance or respect.

Even if, at the time someone has expressed their opinion, people seemed content, that doesn’t mean they didn’t go and have a discussion about the type of person they think you are afterward. Trusting people is a difficult task in the first place, as humans are afraid to be judged, but that is often what happens when an opinion that is far from the politically accepted is conveyed.

America has changed a lot compared to how it was when founded, but the separation of beliefs has stayed pretty much the same. Almost any democratic government will split into what is more or less a two-part system anywhere in the world. There are always two distinct sides that believe complete opposite things. But it seems like they can never express their opinion about the other side without making that other view look a certain way. 

People can get very passionate about what they believe and will go through great lengths to justify their viewpoint, sometimes even to a violent extent. Transgender YouTuber Blaire White conducted an experiment in November of 2017, where she visited a liberal area of Hollywood wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat. White doesn’t necessarily support Donald Trump or intend to be inflammatory to others. She and her boyfriend were simply wearing hats in a liberal area to see if anything would happen. They noticed people protesting Trump on the street and as they got closer, her boyfriend’s hat was dragged off his head. In an attempt to pick up the hat from the ground, her fingers were stomped on repeatedly by one of the protestors, causing her false nails to be broken off. Her natural fingernail was also ripped off in the process, to the point of having to go to the hospital. Then later that night, she was attacked in the street with an unknown substance being dumped on her. This is an extreme example of opposition of opinion, but this happened to her just because she was wearing an article of clothing.

We are all different people who have different experiences with life and, therefore, have different value systems. Yet having a certain view includes stereotypes of how you’re supposed to act or look. 

Why should someone’s opinion about a policy or even something silly reflect on their character? Because of this, people are scared to come out and say what they’re thinking.

The idea of all views being accepted is bent. We say that standing out and not siding with what the crowd preaches is good, having an opinion that is your own and unique to you is good, but is it truly what people think? Having a different opinion should not define who you are, yet the way we treat people whose views we disagree with cannot be denied. Anybody with any point of view can be a criminal or a bad person or any kind of person. It does not matter what your views are. So why does society automatically assume the way someone is based on one idea? Some views are unacceptable, such as ones that discriminate against people based on factors beyond their control, but if a view doesn’t affect an individual or a group of people, at what point does a person get possession of the power to decide someone’s qualities or spirit based on one view? 

Nothing in life is black and white. So it’s obscene the way that we handle thoughts that go against ours.