This is my first blog post. I'll be honest, I originally only planned to join this site in an attempt to win that nifty $1,000 scholarship. Then it occurred to me, the money shouldn't be the sole reason; I should express my own valid opinions. But do I really have anything valuable to say?
I currently have an online journal for my personal use, but recently I forced myself to take a hiatus for a while. Why? Well, to make a long story short, I posted my strong opinions--okay, my rantings--on a matter that was apparently too sensitive a subject for a particular person. Overreactions occurred (in my opinion, anyway), and ultimately, I felt unable to express myself without having to tip-toe around to avoid drama.
I may not be the most patriotic person--I disagree with a lot of policies and happenings in this country, and sometimes in fits of extreme anger I wish I just lived somewhere else. But the thing I value most in this country, what should be allowed to all people, and which I refuse to allow to be supressed is a person's right to express themselves freely.
We all have opinions. It's a given that we will either agree or disagree; we will argue and fight and criticize each other. The idea of whether one opinion is "better" or should be "accepted" over another is an entirely separate blog entry in itself, so I won't go into that just now. But despite whatever disagreements people may have over opinions and viewpoints, a person should not have to fear the consequences of harmlessly expressing their opinion. No one should be forced to censor themselves out of fear of offending others. Conversely, no one--friends, enemies, peers, superiors, even the government--has the right to censor others just because they disagree.
Someone on this site wrote a blog about the subjectivity of the term "progressive." I agree; the term "progressive" entails a lot of different meanings, ideas, and actions. Generally, however, when I think of being "progressive," I think of moving to better ourselves and the world around us. Again, that can be done a variety of ways, depending on the viewpoints of others. But in order to make progress, it is vital, it is essential that we express ourselves and express our opinions and our ideas. Disagreement is also essential, because it means that we question each other; we question the logic of others and ideally, a compromise is made out of those two opinions as to how a matter should be solved.
Without the freedom of expression, there is no progress.
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is now the major reason why I will blog on this site.
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