by Nicole S.

How many different opinions do you think there are in the world? Probably as many as there are people. But what fraction of people can be respectful towards them, even if they don’t share the same beliefs? Throughout Covid, it seems like there have been countless acts of violence against people, and I’m sure I’m not the only one wondering, “Why can’t people just try to get along?” Take, for example, some of the recent protests just within the last year that have included “violent demonstrations.” Even if I believe in a particular group or movement, I will not support any kind of violence coming from it. People who threaten others just to try and get noticed aren’t giving themselves or the organization they support a good reputation. All they’re doing is scaring people.

Although I refuse to believe that any small group of people represents the masses, it has made me wary of which organizations I choose to outwardly support. Imagine this: a bunch of your friends are going to be hanging out together, and they’ve invited you to come with them. Nine out of ten of them are friends that you get along with, but that other friend is really mean to you every time you see them. Do you enjoy the nine friends company enough to justify hanging out with them, even if the mean friend is there? Or will you sit this occasion out and wait to see if the next time that one friend isn’t coming? I believe that this is a good representation of how violent protests can effect someone’s view on a movement. Even if there are fewer people who choose to express their views in a way that harms others, it still might cause someone to decide to turn away from a cause they believe in, and might’ve wanted to help.

This means that all violence is attracting is negative attention, which will hurt their cause overall. Think about it, within the last year have most of the protests you’ve seen on the news been violent or peaceful? I, personally, have seen many more violent protests covered on the news. Now, imagine if all you had seen were peaceful protests. How would that have changed your overall opinion? I think this shows that violence doesn’t benefit anyone, and how mutual respect can have an overwhelming positive effect on people.

So, what will you do to make the world more peaceful?