No two people think the same way; this is the beauty of the human mind and experience.

Everyone has their own thoughts on almost all topics imaginable and quite often these thoughts are put at odds with one another.

What do we do when we disagree with one another?

Under the First Amendment, we all have the right to voice our opinions – regardless of their popularity.

This is an active approach to avoid censorship of unpopular opinions as well as criticizing voices.

Elizabeth Blanks Hindman, free-speech proponent and associate professor of communication, gave some insight.

“I’m all for (free-speech), it’s how democracy grows,” Hindman said. “Everyone has the right to their own beliefs and to express them.”

I would argue that tolerance goes further than just permitting opposing views to be expressed – we can disagree all we want, but adamant hostility is just as bad as not allowing opposing views to be voiced in the first place.

A great example of this occurred recently on campus with yet another visit from preacher Keith Darrell, a founder of The Whitefield Fellowship, an evangelical group.

A crowd started to gather on the Glenn Terrell Friendship Mall in the late morning last Wednesday, as Darrell continued to get louder and concurrently more controversial – obviously drawing more attention to himself.

The crowd started small and spread out until someone engaged the preacher.

Had the conversation been civil, there would not have been problems, but both parties became hostile and the conversation shifted.

As soon as the student cursed, it was obvious that any real conversation was over.

“We need to respect the concept of speaking – they have the right to believe what they want,” Hindman said. “We are honoring their right to those beliefs.”

Other instances that occurred on the mall that day were appalling: more swearing at Darrell; twice someone took his jug of water and dumped it out; blatant disrespect and bantering; and limiting the man’s personal space are just a few of the things that made me embarrassed to be there.

I disagree with almost everything said during that day on the mall, but that is neither here nor there.

What’s important is that by showing civility in the face of controversy, it is more likely that the same civility will be shown when I voice my opinions.

I’ve noticed a common thought process among many people, not just here on campus but all over the country.

The notion that when someone doesn’t agree with something, they should do one of two things: ignore the opposition to their belief entirely or try to make their voice so loud that nobody can hear the opposite side.

The flaw with this mindset is summed up very well by Hindman: “If you only know your own side, you don’t know anything. How can you understand your point of view without understanding opposing views?”

It is definitely understandable to feel frustrated when someone is in disagreement with you, especially when you have personal feelings behind those opinions.

However, that being said, listen to the people you disagree with.

What are their exact views; why do they have them; and what are they using to support their opinions? These are great things to be thinking about in order to form a better argument to support your own views.

Tolerance does not mean agreement or even acceptance of opposing points of view.

I would argue that tolerating other points of view strengthens and diversifies one’s own worldview.

An excellent example of tolerance would be the proposed Trump Wall demonstration.

Coming from a legal standpoint and ignoring personal bias or feelings, Hindman emphasized tolerance.

“I am all for the right to put up the wall, but I also agree with the right of counter protesting,” Hindman said. “This is exactly what college is about.”

Without tolerance, this wall will become more about shocking people and making them feel uncomfortable and less about creating dialogue, as it is intended to be.

It’s up to us to make sure this demonstration creates a dialogue that discusses the actual issues at hand rather than name-calling.

We can and should protest and counter-protest, not only for ourselves but for the passersby who are still on the fence.

College is about personal growth.

If we don’t hear views outside of our own bubble, we cannot develop our own opinions and we will be left in a period of social stagnation or worse – regression.

Alexander Davis is a freshman neuroscience major from Kennewick. He can be contacted at 335-2290 or by [email protected]. The opinions expressed in this column are not necessarily those of the staff of The Daily Evergreen or those of The Office of Student Media.