One of the most disappointing things about growing up, is the slow but sure recognition that the world does not revolve around us, and for some people, they never seem to get over this important fact. The thing is, while on the one hand, we are all similar, in the sense that we are all created by the same Great Hand; we also are all different individuals, for our circumstances are different, sometimes, diametrically different, and in many a situation, we are so very different, that in all probability, that difference will not be rectified in any due season.
The fact that we are not all cookie-cutter people and do not have Stepford-like spouses, makes for a diversity of opinion, and helps bring forth the necessary spiciness of life; for if all were exactly the same, there would then be, by definition, an extreme amount of redundancy. It is therefore, very important, in a country that prides instead as this being the land of freedom, that each of us, is equally entitled to our own thoughts, our own opinions, and our own viewpoints; which is one of the very valid reasons why the First Amendment to our Constitution, stipulates that this government will: "… make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech…" and these words in order to actually have real meaning, necessitate that in practice, each of us is entitled to have opinions that are different, and that it is not the governments' place to determine that certain opinions and viewpoints are orthodox and therefore correct, whereas other opinions are non-orthodox and therefore incorrect.
What is especially pernicious is when any government or entity, takes it upon themselves that their viewpoint is the only acceptable dogma, and having the guns, judges, and possibly the majority on their side, make it their purpose that any dissent should be and must be silenced. In point of fact, freedom of speech, and freedom to have one's own opinion, isn't worth much, if you are unable to freely express it and instead are compelled by law to kowtow to the powers in force. Rather, for these soaring words of freedom of speech, to have any real meaning in the real world, it comes only upon those times, when such opinions being expressed, are frown upon, vilified, and are upsetting to certain people, for this then is the true test of whether these words are paper tigers, or tigers, themselves.
There are many things that people need to keep in mind, of which, one of them is that people's opinions are not only capable of change, but often do change upon even matters of great importance, for when the facts change or the information presented is quite clearly germane and perceptive, then only a stubborn dunce of a person, doesn't at least consider that their viewpoint may indeed necessitate a change, to accommodate this actionable information. So too, when those in power mandate that all opinions have to be this certain specific way, or else, then all those that are still in dissent, will be eliminated; so that only those with uniformity of opinion will exist, but the cost of such uniformity will be the death of freedom, the death of free thinking, and the death of a free voice.