Congress shall make no law abridging the freedom of speech. First Amendment.

In a world of catch phrase foreign policy and a media that drives the wedge of opposition deeply between Americans, (for entertainment purposes, even), we forget to listen. You can see it on any of the 24-hour news channels: people screaming over each other because for some reason they think that their opinion is more important than that of the American they are shouting down. I think that we all get like that sometimes. I know I do, ask anyone who has ever disagreed with me.

But this is America; the land that's very existence is supposed to be the definition of freedom. And by that clause in the First Amendment, we are all entitled to have and express our opinions. However, it's just as important to listen as to be heard. Because if we're not willing to listen, it's unlikely that we will ever be heard. If we approach our freedoms with grace, everyone can be made more free.

The time of partisan politics is over. We need to realize that the person with a conflicting opinion is not a bad person with questionable values. They probably don't even have different values, just a different perspective. Being a diverse nation, we have different experiences that shape our points of view, and those are reflected in our opinions and ideas for shaping the future. If we have the courage to listen to each other, we might be able to reconcile the differences in our ideas and come up with something that will benefit everyone.

Please don't be afraid to express your opinions, even if they are different from the people around you, just remember that in order to be heard someone has to be listening. .