Being Opinionated

          Most high schoolers, at least in my school, tend to stick to the herd, and never stray away to discover their own beliefs, and image. There are perhaps a billion open ended difficult questions out there. The trick is to never be afraid to take the opposite side from your friends. For example, you and your friends could be avid hunters and outdoorsmen (or women), and your friends hate the idea of any more gun regulations. You are scared to say it, but you think too many lives have been lost and you think there should be more gun laws. Don't be afraid to come out and state your opinion to your friends and family. If you are really that scared to outright say it, then you can start by questioning your friends on why they dislike gun regulations (why our Founding Fathers wrote the Second Amendment? Could it be because of factors of during the time of the Constitution was made?). I'm using gun laws as an example because people seem to be very opinionated about it. Personally, I know very nice people who own guns, and I understand why they want to own guns. However, I myself, am not a hunter and do not own any guns. I think the loss we've taken from guns is too great, and i think the amendment is like slave laws. It was written during a different time. That is not to say I'm not open to different views. Anyways, in my own life I've debated gun laws multiple times. One such time, was during an aviation camp. We were traveling to an airport in a van. I was the only girl out nine campers. One of the counselors and I, were talking about the current presidential election when we turned to the topic of guns. He directly asked me my opinion on the subject. I told him I was opposed to guns, but my opinion was not all that strong. Then, as if I told him I hated puppies, he released a hurricane of verbal abuse on me. I started defending my opinion with a little more vigor. Little did I know that the entire van was filled with gun owners. I was fending off insults from every corner. In the end I had defended my position gallantly, in an debate of one to ten. At the end of the camp I was presented with a reward for my tenacity. If you want to ever be respected or respect yourself, know and defend your views. If your friends really don't accept you for your beliefs, then just know you are the more accepting and intelligent person. We need more opinionated people. Not only does debate fuel conversation, but it opens up and possibly solves open ended questions. Keep being you, and remember the best debater can accept the views of both sides. Additionally, if you want a great example of teenagers having an opinion watch the video "Somewhere in America". It is probably the best speech I've ever heard in my life. "Somewhere in America"; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YshUDa10JYY&noredirect=1