I am a fairly conservative person. So, when I watch the news, (which I hate to admit, is really only around election times), I prefer the conservative viewpoint of Fox News. Now, please don’t string me up and beat me like a piñata for my love and support of Rupert Murdoch (that guy is awesome and I love a good Aussie accent!). Fox News is constantly berated for its right wing reporting, but does conservative reporting have to be a bad thing? Liberal news organizations outnumber conservative ones by a vast margin. So, (in my best 5-year old kid voice) why can’t everyone just leave my news station alone?! Conservatives need their views represented it the media too, don’t we?
People’s individual opinions used to be celebrated, or at least respected. People used to appreciate healthy competition and debates. But now, God forbid I not agree with your viewpoint on hot button issues. We have become a nation that accepts people of every background, color and creed… but not political party. In the vast expanse of knowledge available to us today, I am finding less tolerance of conservative standpoints. Lines in the sand that separate us have become more like barbed wire fences. I may be conservative, and I may not agree with your position on abortion, but by God, I can respect it. I can respect our differences of opinion. I think it’s something that makes America so great – our individual voices!
The Internet has opened up a world of possibilities for people to be heard. People who used to have no platform to voice their opinions can get up on their soapbox and talk about the world. The wide variety of journalistic voices – both schooled and unschooled – is something to be celebrated! How wonderful that we have access to so many viewpoints of and in our society. I implore you, the next time you turn on the TV or scour the Internet to find the news, step outside your comfort zone and learn to listen to and respect other people’s opinions. You might discover our sides have more in common than you think.