Expressing your opinion can be challenging as you run the risk of offending another person. The obstacles that come along with going up against a policy or an opposing viewpoint can be substantial.
It's easier to revert to the childhood idea of not saying anything at all if you don't have anything nice to say rather than building up enough courage to voice your opinion. The major problem with keeping your mouth closed is that nothing would get changed. Yes, at times change should be an afterthought and we should rely on the clich+â-¬, "If it's not broken, don't fix it."
The beauty of debate is what fuels politics, corporate issues or settling on what to do on a Friday night. As human beings, we want our opinions respected, even if we know some people aren't going to agree with them.
Think about life if we all lived in an impenetrable bubble and everyone rolled on their merry way. The world would be one boring place.
The issue regarding censorship in the Woodlan Junior-Senior high school publication, Tomahawk, is a prime example of an administration being too careful not to offend anyone. Ironically, the article was written about tolerance.
Principal Ed Yoder demanding to see the contents of the Tomahawk before distribution makes a mockery of having the right of free speech. Obviously, in this case the administration isn't being tolerant of an opinion.
When you express an opinion, you don't expect to be ridiculed, but you may expect to engage in a logical debate. Of course, you will encounter some people who are closed-minded and feel compelled to throw rocks at your back.
Imagine going to class to turn in a paper and having your professor reject it because your viewpoint didn't agree with his or her ideas. The humility you would feel would be enormous. You probably would have something to say about it, but if no one cared to consider what you had to say about the issue, nothing would be done about it.
The challenge of expressing your opinion will not fade in the near future. However, you can't be afraid to express opinions even if you think they may offend someone. It's improbable that everyone is going to agree on every issue, but it is essential to rely on the hope another human being will at least tolerate what you have to say.
Taking the time to listen or read about what another person thinks helps propel diversity. Diversity of opinions is what makes America special in that you are allowed to be different from everyone else. Problems arise when we refuse to respect an opinion with which we may not agree.
If we didn't have an array of opinions about issues such as government, homosexuality or religion, they wouldn't carry as much significance. Because they carry a little fire along with what people have to say about them, they tend to ruffle a few feathers.
The idea of censorship should be burned up when it comes to these issues or any issue, and freedom of speech coupled with respect should take its place.
Write to Dan at daladig@bsu.edu
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