By Brianna Crummy ’16

Everyone always has something to say, even if they do not know what they are saying. With the election coming up, every single incident presented to the public becomes politicized (even red coffee cups). When people begin to debate, arguments start flying in from left field. It is almost comical that people think they understand what they are talking about when they truly don’t have a clue. I am not claiming to always be correct or to have every answer, but people should probably think twice before going off on a rant.

I can understand people’s eagerness to join the conversation, but make sure you have done a bit of research first. There is nothing worse than listening to somebody’s bigoted rant or  idealized fantasy with no support to back it up. As a society, we have a tendency to repeat the things we want to believe. It is so natural for us to associate with somebody else’s sentiment, regardless of whether or not they have a sound basis.

The 2016 presidential race has heightened society’s ability to criticize and even celebrate. As soon as a candidate makes a remark, anyone with the slightest bit of an opinion voices it automatically as a response.

There is no better example of this than Donald Trump. Mr. Trump is on the giving and receiving end of public opinion. He can stand in front of a crowd spewing complete lies and utter ignorance while still receiving applause, while at the same time getting such harsh backlash that any argument he presents is ripped to shreds. This past December, Trump has proposed a ban on all Muslims wishing to enter the United States. This suggestion was very similar to the one made at the beginning of his campaign, explaining his plan to build a wall along the border with Mexico to keep out any immigrants.

Donald Trump is more than entitled to this opinion. The true problem is that the reasoning behind his beliefs has no sound evidence. He makes claims that appeal to the American public, which gives him such great power. It is even worse that the people of our country are willing to support this man that makes such outlandish claims.

A lot of the support rallied for all of the candidates comes from our ability to obtain information. It is so simple to go online or to check a newsfeed and see all of the latest claims immediately posted. This is so often the case with our generation and this is the way our beliefs and notions of the world are formulated.

The ugly truth is that the majority of the time, younger people do not even have opinions of their own. They interpret what ithey have read online or what their parents say and repeat it as their own ideas. It is so easy for us to have criticisms but so difficult to back them up because of our lack of life experience. When our parents and grandparents complain about our government’s functionality, at the very least it is informed by the fact that they have lived over half of their lives in this country — they have somewhat of an understanding of how it should work. It is so simple for us to sit back and agree with them, when in reality we can’t even relate to half of the things they are talking about.

It is important to keep informed and have a better understanding of the world around us. As a society we have a responsibility to be knowledgeable when exercising our freedom of speech. We need to take into consideration the fact that misinformed people make misinformed decisions that can lead to sheer disaster.