Once upon a time ago, there was a series of amendments made to a document called the Constitution. The first of these amendments said, “Congress shall make no law […] abridging freedom of speech, or of the press.” That amendment is why we are allowed to print articles about racism, Obamacare, the legalization of marijuana and anything else that our writers feel strongly about. It is also why you are allowed to write in and disagree with any of the opinions expressed in these pages.

Not too surprisingly, the number of letters to the editor that I have received is four less than a handful. But the number of disrespectful snickerings this newspaper’s opinions section has been subjected to is too big to be tallied without developing excruciating hand cramps. Of course, that iconic decree gives you every right to snicker away as often as you wish. But have you ever considered that your behavior is just as offensive to us as the articles in question may be to you?

The art of offense isn’t hard to master. But goodness gracious, can it bring disaster. Without even thinking about the repercussions, we bring down avalanches of embarrassment and frustration onto our peers daily. Sometimes it’s because we don’t think before we speak. Other times it’s because we don’t speak at all. And there’s always the classic eye roll accompanied by the vicious smirk that teenagers have so thoroughly mastered. To be sure, I too am guilty of offense (both premeditated and in self defense) and though I loathe to admit it, my argument would self-destruct if I claimed any innocence concerning the matter. The world would be a brighter place if we could all just admit to our mistakes and respect each other, but to do that, we must first learn to value the differences of opinion that keep the pogo-stick of our society from falling over.

Here’s a practice run: I will state some controversial opinions of mine and I want you to try to consider them civilly and then make a valid argument to your lunch table buddies of your own point without (and here’s the kicker) scoffing or making snide remarks about my state of mental health.

• Peanut butter is disgusting.
• Social media is making us the generation that our descendants will try to forget.
• People who can read but choose not to read because they think books are boring are boring to me.

There is no such thing as a correct opinion. The only way to judge the merit of an opinion is to look at the reasoning behind it. For some people, that reasoning comes in the form of statistics and definitions. For others, it’s the cultural and personal background that justifies beliefs. But no matter how you look at it, an opinion that has been rationalized well and articulated clearly is no cause for offense. Rather, it’s a conversation starter and good conversation is said to be the cornerstone of a solid relationship.

So don’t just snicker, talk about these articles with your friends, and if you feel strongly enough, write to us. All McIntosh students and faculty are welcome to be guest writers for the MHS Trail. If you’re interested, please visit our website or contact me ([email protected]) for more information.