Today, I’m just going to rant a little bit. Perhaps I’m a member of a thought minority or perhaps I’m not, but at least I still have the right to express my opinions - but the funny thing is that I don’t think my opinion is too far fetched. In fact I would wager that more people would agree than disagree with this rant. But I won’t, because I’m not a gambler ;)
I’m just tired of the media and all the social media posts that reflect one side / one point of view with little to no tolerance for other points of views or other interpretations on the same news story. Everywhere I turn I find stories from people and publications that tell contrary stories from each other. One friend or relative is liberal and posts stories that support their points of view, and another person is a conservative and they post something from their point of view - but I have just had it…I don’t want to turn the news “off” because I want to stay connected with current events, BUT news outlets are supposed to tell the story the way it “is”.
I understand that all stories interpreted through human eyes are subject to interpretation and analysis based on the individual’s perspective, but there shouldn’t be opinion masked as fact…Who can we “trust”? What’s the true story on Covid? What’s the true story on protests / riots? What’s the true story on…? By withdrawing back into our factions, developing news systems that cater to audiences who “want” to hear something, and delivering on what people “want”, we’re shredding the truth in favor of interpreted facts.
I’m tired of trying to read behind a political agenda within a news story or social post to get at what the best interpretation of a truth could be. Can we have such a thing as “mostly peaceful” protests? No - if you protest peacefully you are peacefully protesting. If someone goes out and starts assaulting law enforcement, or damaging “ANY” property is breaking the law and is NOT acting peacefully. If protestors turned those people into law enforcement in a way to maintain law and order around their cause, then perhaps we could start to swallow “peaceful protest”, but it doesn’t seem like that is happening.
I WANT people to challenge the government, even when I don’t agree with the point of view. That’s what we are about in the US - freedom to dissent. But everyone also has a right to feel safe in their homes, in the streets, etc. And we should have a right to public discourse before policies are changed, particularly if those changes are being made in haste without proper dialog and debate. Through proper dialog and debate, I might change my mind, or change yours…
Right now I feel like I am being told “what to think” and I don’t understand how I can see “good” evidence to support both sides of an argument and not see that in each news report. How do the news sources (conservative OR liberal) get away with that? I thought they had a responsibility to provide access to the truth, not interpreted truth.
Now, when I look for “trusted” sources I am going to places like YouTube to see first hand accounts, see if there is a counter narrative, etc. But I still have to weed through information filtered through an opinionated lens in order to try and figure out what the real story is.
I can admit that my opinions are formed and supported by certain things that I hear, but I will try to challenge those views in order to make sure my thinking is justified / supported. When we write on Generation Bridge we try to recognize that people come to our information from various backgrounds and ideologies. So we try to provide access to articles that deal with solving problems rather than defining problems. But we want to provide access to information more than opinion (rants like this excluded…). But we try to post things that outline the arguments rather than simply avoid contrary arguments altogether.
Alas, when I get on social media I get to see people I love and respect spew garbage meant to appeal emotionally rather than rationally and ignore a very REAL standard in civilized society; that I can disagree with you and still be a respectable person. Sometimes you can disagree and not come to a compromise because both sides have a very reasonable argument. That said, in the US, you are allowed to have a contrary point of view and if you can convince enough people of your point you can make change. When you force change, it will likely not end well unfortunately. It comes down to choice - If I choose to hear you and change my opinion, then it will be lasting change but if you force me / shame me / silence me, there is a higher likelihood that I will defy out of obstinance…This is a human behavior I work very hard on in my own conscience so that I don’t exclude something out of stubbornness. But the challenge is for the person with a contrary view to respect my opinion and “convince” me - that you are free to do.
I actually want to “understand” things more, but not understand from one point of view at a time - where are the place that are providing the detail on debates out there - when things are not “obvious” it should be the moral obligation of those who control information dissemination to provide the right context for people to figure out where they should be on an issue. AND there should be an option to see that there MAY actually be 2 RIGHT points of view rather than one side or the other…in those cases, people can be allowed and TRUSTED to make up their own minds…
I think I am just getting tired of people “telling” me how to feel, how to believe rather than providing me with the information that I might need to change or support a point of view I don’t subscribe to.
Sorry for the rant - and I am not proofing this - so if it is grammatically incorrect, I apologize. BUT sometimes my writing just helps me get through some thoughts. I think opposing points of view are good. I have changed my mind in the past because of opposing points of view.
Just to close - I found this today - and it does help me when looking at the search for truth.
Romans 12:2
"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."
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