North Texas Daily

Garron Weeks | Staff Writer

The fight for tolerance and equality is a tough battle to participate in as the wounds of racism are constantly healing. People are still judged based on their ideas and what they look like, rather than their character. A short 60 years ago, the United States did not recognize equality. Today, Black Lives Matter protesters still march for equality and to not be killed at traffic stops. Yet the actions of a few protesters, who loot local businesses, are grouped into the movement as a whole.

One of the “leaders” of the movement, DeRay McKesson, condoned looting as a means of protesting. As backwards as that is, it does not represent the group as a whole. People want to be free to live, and should be judged individually on their own character; not the actions of others.

Suppressing ideas and diversity of thought is socially damaging as it creates close-mindedness and hatred for those who do not share similar perspectives. College campuses should be the cornerstone of free thought and ideas, yet students and administrators of some schools have barred conservative speakers from speaking at universities.

In 2015, Former President Barack Obama told a Des Moines town hall that how wrong it was for college campuses to ban conservative speakers or racially challenging literature. “I gotta tell you, I don’t agree with that either,” he said. “I don’t agree that you, when you become students at colleges, have to be coddled and protected from different points of view.” Obama encouraged a diversity of opinions and ideas, especially on university grounds.

Both sides of the aisle are important for all of us to understand. Everyone comes from a different upbringing and a different environment, so new and different ideas will exist and it’s important for everyone to share their ideas freely.

Religious freedom is one of these controversial topic because it could potentially allow discrimination. For example, religious freedom gives someone the opportunity to not give their services to a gay wedding – be it baking a cake, taking photos or tending to flowers. While discrimination is wrong, people shouldn’t be forced at gunpoint to devote their time and resources to something they don’t want to do. Religious freedom is freedom, whether it be wrong or right. If one is not physically hurting someone else, then freedom should reign.

Many people have taken the mentality of “Us vs. Them” in politics today. That it’s left versus right, conservative versus liberal or Black Lives Matter versus Blue Lives Matter. But it’s important that we work together to achieve peace. Division, oppression and suppression will only lead to hatred and close-mindedness. To live in a truly free world, we need free speech, thoughts and ideas; so long as they are not physically hurting someone else.

Diversity of thought is what is going to propel the advancement of our culture. If we are too conservative, we will grow into an unsustainable archaism. If we are too liberal, our enemies will take advantage of us. We need to work towards being free individuals to flourish our diverse society where everyone has equal opportunity – not equal outcome.

Featured Illustration: Samuel Wiggins