North Texas Daily

With the controversy of many topics at the forefront, including Black Lives Matter, transgender rights, health care system flaws and lack of adequate financial aid to people during a global pandemic, this has led to many choosing sides on what they believe is to be correct and often thinly veiling it as a political opinion. However, this has brought to many people’s attention the horrific truth behind a seemingly political decision.

For too long people have been able to hide in the shadows with their hateful opinions of others, but when faced with things such as people of color being treated unfairly and unjustly, they are faced to make a decision. The sad truth is some people will disagree with a person’s fundamental rights when it comes to their gender, race, sexuality, etc. The problem that comes with this is the confusion when these same people are kind to you, despite disagreeing with you on a moral and ethical issue. This can be harmful to activism as people will choose to push their phony respect for you as a person, so you see them more as a person rather than their bad political takes that prove they disagree with you as a human being.

This has been presented first hand to me many times, through actions of people who oppose my rights, beliefs and often in an offensive way. Such as on campus, a particular recurring street preacher who spews hate under the shield of religion. Along with him exercising his freedom of speech, he would often be kind to my friends and me, but despite what he was saying stood against basic fundamental human rights. These are confusing encounters and happen way too often, as people cannot understand their political opinions are much more than that.

Similarly, when attending a protest for the removal of a confederate soldier at another college campus, paired with Black Lives Matter. We endured hours and hours of hate explaining that the opinions of those being affected were brainless and no injustice is being done through idolizing a confederate soldier. After screaming in favor of inequality and racism, a woman walked around and asked people if they needed a ride home. This is understandably confusing to those she had been so horrible to prior and now was being thoughtful with this offer to all of the much younger people she disagreed with.

Both of these situations and instances even more contradictory can be confusing and affect activism greatly. Understanding how people could push strongly that they disagree with your basic human rights and in some cases your livelihood, but in the same vein offer you kindness and openness outside of those opinions. The psychological warfare among people that claim they simply have different political opinions and push that it isn’t tied to their morality towards the people they fight against. Discussing this among one side will only do so much, but bringing this to light that it is much more than political differences but people’s lives are being affected by these decisions. No one wants to limit freedom of speech or thought but when those are inherently against entire groups of people and their rights, you cannot just choose when to be liked, or kind.

Featured Illustration: Austin Banzon