Snowflake: "Voicing your opinion is rude"

By Douglas V. Gibbs
Author, Speaker, Instructor, Radio Host

I found myself in a verbal altercation, last night, with one of the younger members of our society.  I got into a conversation with someone, and his friend stood by as an obstacle, finding me rude for having an opinion different than theirs, and then daring to voice it.

The conversation began because the individual and I share an enthusiasm for the same sports team.  We talked about the upcoming season, the hope that our team will do well, and exchanged a few thoughts about the players and their capabilities in the professional arena.  In the conversation our wives were mentioned, and it turned out they used to work at the same retail outlet.  "Small world," was the conclusion.

After discussing my vocation as an educator, radio host, author and public speaker, I asked what it was the young man did for a living.  He hee-hawed around, as if he didn't want to tell me.  The second young man, then, spoke up for him, and declared, "He works for a place that grows marijuana."

Here in California it began with medical marijuana, and then progressed to full legalization in the last election.  The second young man then commented, talking to me, "Something you are against."

Based on how I dressed, and my likely conservative political opinions based on what I said about the U.S. Constitution, he judged me without fully knowing what I thought.

But, I am figuring it is likely he is one of those folks going around telling people not to be judgmental.

I ignored the second fellow, turned to the first gentleman, and said, "Why were you hesitant to tell me?  Do you believe there is a stigma in what you do?  Hey, it's legal, regardless of if it should be, and you have a job."

"Well," he said, "I kind of think it was better when it was under the other law, and it was only medical marijuana.  The State's intrusion, the way it's getting taxed, it's not a good thing."

This was the last thing the first young man, for the most part, had to say, because his younger counterpart took over.

I said, "Legalization of a drug is going to have its pitfalls.  If most employers would not want their employees smoking weed, then we can see that it is obviously not good for production, or for the general functioning of society.  Besides the dangers of marijuana are well documented.  Studies have shown it is especially dangerous for brains 25 years and younger.  A website for a group called Citizens Against Legalizing Marijuana has a lot of this information."

"What dangers?" interrupted young man number 2.  "It's totally safe.  The studies are lying."

"I happen to believe that it is a gateway drug, and I have come to that conclusion based on my own experience," I said, without being able to conclude my thought.

"No you don't.  You don't have any experience in smoking pot.  You don't know what the f*** you are talking about," came the young man's interruption.

"Are you calling me a liar?" I asked.

"You are in politics."

"No," I replied, "I am not in politics, per se.  I teach the truth of the original intent of the U.S. Constitution."

"And that is your opinion," he said, "and that's politics.  All people in politics are liars."

My voice escalated a little.  I couldn't believe this kid, about twenty years younger than I, had the gall to call me a liar.  "I've had an interesting life, and I have had certain experiences that have made me very aware..."

He began to talk over me.  "No you didn't.  You don't know what you are talking about.  I can tell by the way you are talking, you've probably never smoked a joint in your life."

"Don't call me a liar, child."

"Child?"  He let out a cynical laugh.  "Listen to you, getting all loud. People are closing their doors to get away from you. You're f***ing crazy, people don't want to hear you, you are coming out of your skin in anger, and it's rude what you are doing.  You aren't going to change our minds, so you need to just shut up. You are not going to change anybody's mind, so you need to say nothing."

The first young man apologized as I walked away, shaking my head.  When I was that age I would never have talked to anybody older than me with that kind of disrespect.  I didn't talk to my dad that way, nor anyone else, no matter what I thought of them.

The key thing I want to focus on, here, however, is not the disrespect of the little punk who is an obvious product of today's movies, comedians, music, and the rest of the entertainment industry (as well as teachers in his life, and his likely news sources), but that he felt my disagreeing opinion was rude.

In conversations, disagreement is normal.  People verbalize their opinions largely because they just want to be able to tell their point of view.  All people believe that what they believe is right, so they say so.  That's not rude, that's simply having an opinion. However, to this young man, having a differing opinion was unacceptable, and as a result, I was told that if I had a differing opinion, verbalizing it was rude, and I needed to be silent.

That is what the rioting snowflakes are all about.  They don't get their way, or someone hurts their feelings by disagreeing with them, so their hurt little feelings go into temper tantrum mode and they do what they can to silence anyone they think is hurting their feelings.

To disagree with the younger generation, from their point of view, is to either hate them, or fear them.  Either, you must agree with everything they believe and/or do, or else you are rude, and/or a hater, and you must be silenced in any way possible.  Of course, these concepts held by the youngsters are ridiculous nonsense.  There is nothing wrong with having your own opinion, and there was a time when people said that even if they disagreed with you, they'd protect your right to your opinion at any cost.  Now, if you disagree with them, they want to take away your right to your opinion at any cost.

I will not compromise my personal convictions.  It was disrespectful and uncalled for that the young man called me a liar, and lashed out at me the way he did.  But, he's a product of our current society, a society created and nurtured by the liberal left socialist commies of the Democrat Party.  Problem is, the propaganda has been so successful that the younger generation doesn't even see the tyrannical nature of their viewpoint.  While they call any and all people who disagree with them fascists and Nazis and a whole litany of other labels that often end with "-phobia", in reality it is them who are displaying the intolerant characteristics of tyrants.

Voicing one's opinion is not rude, it's a part of freedom.  Freedom goes both ways.  You can't demand to be heard, and then refuse to hear your opposition.  That is not liberty.  That's slavery.

-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary