So. this week I discovered that I'm slightly intolerant.
...No, maybe I should back up and explain a tad more.
I discovered this week that regardless of how people may know me, I have an opinion of everything that I like to stand by. Is this normal? I would say so, but no, really - is it normal? Would you honestly say that because I have an opinion of something, that because I am passionate enough about something that I state a claim toward it, that it is okay?
You still think so? Okay, let us now take my statement into a different lens.
Yesterday I was looking through the local news online, as I am required to in Journalism class, and found another typical burglary case with a man who is not shown in the article. During the reading of online news articles, I enjoy scrolling down past the article and reading what comments the public have to made in regard to the article. I usually find the 'thoughtful' and rhetorical comments that people make, like "Oh heavens, what has this world come to?", comments that I usually think are meant to sound smart, but are obscured in the frustrating forest of SMS Textese, and of course, the troll comments.
I hate to bring discrimination into this, but this particular article that I read had the comments of "I'll be he was black/Hispanic" or whatever ethnicity have you. And, of course, when discrimination is involved in anything, people are there to basically whack the commenter repeated with virtual hammers. I often roll my eyes at this point and continue to scroll down to other more meaningful comments.
This particular time, however, something in me clicked. I began to think. Okay, what if the burglar WAS black? Was if he was white? What if he was Hispanic? What if he were a blue, mutated man with green hair and three eyes? Would either of those people's appearance have made it less of a crime? A burglary is a burglary, in my opinion, regardless of who did it, or what they looked like.
Now, let me try again.
Is it wrong for me to have an opinion? To some people, yes.
For example (and I repeat, example), I believe that all puppies under the height of 2 feet should be kicked repeatedly until dead.
This is my opinion. Is it wrong? Yes. Why? Because it is morally unacceptable.
Does this mean that I no longer can have this opinion that puppies should be kicked? Not necessarily, but because of it, my life will be a living hell of consistent nagging of how I 'shouldn't be so cruel to puppies' and how I 'should think of others before myself.'
Alright, now let's go back to reality. I do not believe that puppies should be kicked. Only a madman would believe that. I do, however, have other beliefs. To some people, my beliefs would be considered as 'intolerant.'
Let me give an example (and this one is real). I am not a fan at all of reality television, nor am I a fan at all of television in general. These popular TV shows such as Jersey Shore, The Bachelor...they're pointless to me. They have no values, they have no wit. They're simply shows of cameramen invading the lives of once-meager people. When I express these thoughts to other people, however, red flags go up. I apparently 'just don't get the point behind the television show' or 'don't understand how entertaining it is.'
Let me clear something up. I don't form an opinion of something until I've had a taste of it. I don't say that I dislike asparagus until I've tried it. I don't say that I dislike rock music until I've listened to it. This should tell people that I have tried to join the little fad of Jersey Shore by watching a few episodes. I read the first book of Twilight before I claimed that I strongly disliked the series.
Let's look at reality.
I think certain things have no value. I have no use for them. If you find any value in these people, milk it. If you simply enjoy following the popular crowd, be my guest. It's no skin off of my nose. Just don't try to sway me.
If you have a valid argument to make against my opinions, I will listen and consider. I'm not a rebel. But if you're simply going to bash me for my views with no reason but to bring me down to size, then every word shall go in one ear and out the other.
Opinions are not wrong. They're misunderstood.
-Cheryl-Buddy
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