It’s important to have opinions.
Of course, I’m a little biased considering that I’m the editor for the op-ed section of the Wheel. But let’s assume, for the argument’s sake, that I am speaking outside of this platform. I’m just another writer with another opinion, and my opinion is that it’s important to have opinions.
This editorial idea stemmed from a common stance I see college students engaging in, and that stance is apathy. Be it in politics or merely as a general life philosophy, it seems as if the “cool” and “hip” thing to do nowadays is to be apathetic.
Oh apathy, what a fantastic way to justify your laziness in keeping up with recent headlines and the ignorance inherent in such statements: “Why does it matter that I know all of the intricacies of what’s going on in Syria? It’s not like I can do anything to help.” “Do I really need to have an opinion about the Affordable Care Act? It’s already happening, so even if I did disagree with it, it wouldn’t matter.” “It’s great you’re talking about gender inequality, but it’s not like you’re actually doing anything.”
Stop and think. Think long, and think hard.
It’s important to have opinions. Obviously your opinions will change with time and that’s okay. You aren’t static – your opinions are always evolving because every second of every day, you’re experiencing new things and that’s a basic part of living, the act of educating yourself and learning anything about everything. It’s called being alive, and it’s pretty sweet.
I recently was in a situation where I felt as if the things I do in college aren’t impacting anyone or anything. Yeah, sure, I write articles, but are they really impacting people? The view was solidified when I was at a Feminists in Action (FIA) discussion. As the discussion progressed, we somehow landed on the topic of the act of revolutions. I realized there was a lot of miscommunication going on and someone alluded to the idea that discussions, such as the ones we have for FIA, don’t do anything. They were criticizing the common idea of “a step in the right direction,” a faulty justification “activists” use in order to make it seem as if they’re actually doing something. What does having open dialogue and discussing contrary opinions do anyway?
A lot. It does a lot.
We’re at the prime time in our lives. Being college students, this is our time to explore the dimensions of our mind and find out what our opinions can and should be. Ideology is shaped by your personal experiences which teach you how you want to interact with the world around you.
Before you can engage in action, you must be ideologically sound in whatever way you find sufficient. There is no such thing as all or nothing. How wonderful would it be if I could close my eyes and the Marxist Revolution had debunked the free-market system overnight and the rich-poor gap diminished? Unfortunately, that’s not how the world functions.
Opinions shape ideology, and ideology shapes action. We often hear the words “consciousness raising,” “stand-point epistemology” and the likes, especially in academic settings. But they aren’t buzzwords. They’re important. After all, consciousness is the best kind of high.
So here’s my advice: tell people how you feel – tell them what they are doing is unethical under your moral code. Establish a moral code. Or not, because you think morality is subjective and should be decided on a case-by-case basis. It’s your opinion. But at least have an opinion. Show people that for once in your life, you care about something and that you will do whatever you can to enact change.
Have dinner parties with your friends and talk about the American Studies Association’s boycotts against Israeli academic institutions and how you think they limit academic freedom; go to the cinema and afterwards tell your best friend how offensive you found that film; write an editorial about why you think the two-party system is failing and how the United States must establish a different kind of politic. Just say something. Find your opinions, express their contradictions and share them with the world. And once you’ve established your opinions, turn them into actions.
Don’t be another statistic – you have the ability to change the world.
The Revolution starts from within. The Revolution starts now.
Editorials Editor and Feminists in Action President Priyanka Krishnamurthy is a College junior from Coppell, Texas.
Illustration by Katrina Worsham
The Emory Wheel was founded in 1919 and is currently the only independent, student-run newspaper of Emory University. The Wheel publishes weekly on Wednesdays during the academic year, except during University holidays and scheduled publication intermissions.
The Wheel is financially and editorially independent from the University. All of its content is generated by the Wheel’s more than 100 student staff members and contributing writers, and its printing costs are covered by profits from self-generated advertising sales.
