Opinions
We all have opinions. We base them on fact, conjecture, experience, and hearsay. But we all have them. The difference between opinions today and opinions 10 or 20 years ago is that we all see each others opinions on social media. Like my blog, or your Facebook post.
I have friends who have all sorts of opinions. Some I agree with, some I don't, some I really wonder where they got them from. But we're all entitled to our opinion - that's what makes us all beautifully unique. If we all had the same opinion on everything we'd probably all be pretty boring.
Which brings me to this past weekend. The Women's March.
Based on my own Facebook feed I have seen it called amazing, enlightening, shameful, and pitiful. Again, we all have our own opinion. But I think some people missed the point.
This was not just an American Women's March on Women's rights. This was not a Women's March against President Trump. This wasn't an abortion rights march or a pro-Planned Parenthood march. Although these are some reasons that some may have marched. But it was not the principal theme.
This was an International Women's March for ALL women for many, many different reasons. Women and men outside of the US marched as well. They were marching for politics, theirs and ours. They were marching for equality, equal pay, and safety. I read a great post over at globehoppers.com that discussed the marches and some of the issues people were marching for in different parts of the world.
I've seen friends post asking why are we marching and calling attention to other issues in the world around us. Aren't the crimes of human trafficking all over the world a more important cause that we should be protesting? Yes, those are horrible things and we should be doing more to stop them.
There are many positives and negatives in our world, we all have opinions on them. And they really can't be changed all at once. But each small thing we do can help lead to greater good.
Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current that can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance. ~ Robert Kennedy
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/ripple.html
I applaud the people who are willing and brave to march to create dialogue and change. I am honored to have friends with strong opinions that I might share or disagree with. These conversations and actions have the ability for us to see there are more than one opinion.
What makes me sad is the friends who seem unwilling to see that there is more than opinion and that although our opinions may vary, they are the correct opinion for us. And maybe the anonymity of social media makes some of us more vocal. Although I know I have friends who will say exactly what they post. I know I am not alone when I can write that I've changed my opinion on many things over time because of experience, facts, or situations that have made me realize a different viewpoint.
So my summation is this: Be the change you want to see. Rather than complain about the actions of others, do something to be the change for good. Be kind, be respectful, and agree to disagree. Take positive action to improve the lives or situations of others in a non-violent manner. You have an opinion - what can you do to create the change that you believe in?
I have friends who have all sorts of opinions. Some I agree with, some I don't, some I really wonder where they got them from. But we're all entitled to our opinion - that's what makes us all beautifully unique. If we all had the same opinion on everything we'd probably all be pretty boring.
Which brings me to this past weekend. The Women's March.
Based on my own Facebook feed I have seen it called amazing, enlightening, shameful, and pitiful. Again, we all have our own opinion. But I think some people missed the point.
This was not just an American Women's March on Women's rights. This was not a Women's March against President Trump. This wasn't an abortion rights march or a pro-Planned Parenthood march. Although these are some reasons that some may have marched. But it was not the principal theme.
This was an International Women's March for ALL women for many, many different reasons. Women and men outside of the US marched as well. They were marching for politics, theirs and ours. They were marching for equality, equal pay, and safety. I read a great post over at globehoppers.com that discussed the marches and some of the issues people were marching for in different parts of the world.
I've seen friends post asking why are we marching and calling attention to other issues in the world around us. Aren't the crimes of human trafficking all over the world a more important cause that we should be protesting? Yes, those are horrible things and we should be doing more to stop them.
There are many positives and negatives in our world, we all have opinions on them. And they really can't be changed all at once. But each small thing we do can help lead to greater good.
Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current that can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance. ~ Robert Kennedy
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/ripple.html
I applaud the people who are willing and brave to march to create dialogue and change. I am honored to have friends with strong opinions that I might share or disagree with. These conversations and actions have the ability for us to see there are more than one opinion.
What makes me sad is the friends who seem unwilling to see that there is more than opinion and that although our opinions may vary, they are the correct opinion for us. And maybe the anonymity of social media makes some of us more vocal. Although I know I have friends who will say exactly what they post. I know I am not alone when I can write that I've changed my opinion on many things over time because of experience, facts, or situations that have made me realize a different viewpoint.
So my summation is this: Be the change you want to see. Rather than complain about the actions of others, do something to be the change for good. Be kind, be respectful, and agree to disagree. Take positive action to improve the lives or situations of others in a non-violent manner. You have an opinion - what can you do to create the change that you believe in?
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