7 Ways to Advocate for Your Own Political Opinions

Everybody has the right to their opinion.

The past couple of years, we have experienced this increase in "cancel culture" for many right leaning political activists and overall people who have just made mistakes. I am a strong advocate against cancel culture!

While that could be its own blog post, the purpose of this is to give ideas for how to feel more confident and comfortable speaking up for yourself in a political way-- or really for any aspect of your life, since everything seems to be controversial these days.

From my perspective, I used to feel like the world was against me-- especially at the beginning of this political uproar in 2020. I did not understand why people were so nasty when it came to things that were common sense-- barely even political. I did not understand why it felt like the whole world saw me as evil for posting and talking about "Republican" ideas that I saw was to help the better good of our Country and world. I have never been one to sit there and let people walk on me so I had to figure it out.

After a fair share of hate comments and people who I thought were my friends publicly trying to shame me, I turned that negative energy into something positive. For every hate comment, death threat, etc. I got, I used that as fuel to feel the need to post more of my ideas! Letting go of those thoughts about what people think about me and not caring what people thought, was one of the best things I could have ever done. What it comes down to is a big misunderstanding-- from both perspectives. Things have become so extreme from all ends that people refuse to listen to the other side and misunderstand where the majority is coming from.

I am involved in many of the right leaning political clubs on campus and am proud of it. People will always find something to hate you for, so be true to yourself no matter what. You know what is in your heart and strangers online can't change that based on something like an Instagram post!

I have talked to hundreds of people about this social dilemma. Many have told me they don't feel it is worth getting attacked by saying their opinion. They are afraid for their future jobs, families, or just what people will label them as (rightfully so, honestly). With cancel culture, peoples lives are being destroyed many times because the internet trolls have banned up against them.

Here are some ways that worked for me to become a strong political advocate.

1.Learn not to care what people think of you.

Later I am going to talk about how to do this on social media, but for right now, I am going to focus on jobs or other kinds of involvement. If you think you are going to miss out on an opportunity because someone does not like your opinions, it is really important to reconsider whether or not that situation is something you would want to be a part of in the first place. That is not for any other reason than feeling comfortable. Diversity is important in all aspects of life, but if you feel like your opinion is an important aspect of this position, and you get denied because of it, that is not a reason to shut yourself down.

2.Be kind!

Political conversations are a two way street-- with a 5 lane highway in the middle of it! It is okay to disagree with someone but don't attack them for it-- even if someone attacks you first. Shut them down with kindness. Also, attempt to understand where they are coming from and agree to disagree. As you probably can pick up on, the worst thing you could do when advocating for yourself is put someone else down. This is for many reasons, one of them being you lose credibility-- and people will begin not to trust you-- for example, think about what is happening in the media.

3.Post on your Instagram stories.

Posting on Instagram stories is a subtle way to start advocating for trending topics. You can repost other people's Instagram posts or news clips to spread awareness of a topic or to help get your point across. Just be sure to check your sources and make sure what you are reposting is something that you truly believe in and understand!

4.Stand up for what you believe in.

Start small, and speak as you feel-- do not let pressure from any person, political party, or media source tell you that you have to agree on something. Like I mentioned before, a big part of this is training your mind to not care what other people think. When I say this, I don't mean it in a rude way, I mean to not let haters destroy your confidence with things you strongly believe in-- such as yourself! Educate yourself based on the truth (not others opinions) and advocate for what's right for you, your family, and friends.

5.Listen to people who you dont agree with.

Believe it or not, you DO NOT have to hate people who don't politically agree with you. I know, what a shock! Contrary to what the media has been pushing on us for the past 6 years, we don't have to hate each other. We can all get along-- we all bleed red don't we? Although it is nice to have friends who you can rant to when things feel confusing or upsetting, it is super important to not close people off solely because they have a different a political opinion. In fact, understanding where the other perspective comes from helps you strengthen your argument.

6.Be involved in your community.

This one is not political at all! It is just something that everyone should be partaking in regardless of politics. At the end of the day, we all can speak as many words as we want to attempt to save the world-- but that won't help. Pawning our ideas off on other people (in most cases behind a phone screen) hoping they have "the power" to fix it is not enough and will not work. We each have the individual liberty and power to help one another. College students, on and off campus there are things you can be doing to help others. Food drives, coat drives, community clean ups, campus clean ups, or even things as "small" as helping a classmate or smiling to a stranger makes the real difference. Don't knock it before you try it.

7.Get informed!

There are plenty of accurate resources and there are plenty of inaccurate resources out there which makes it difficult to learn about political topics. My best suggestion here would be to turn off the news. As enjoyable as it may be to turn on Fox and see the commentary about the inflation due to President Biden's legislation, it can get confusing to see what is an opinion vs a fact. Looking at CNN, they relay their opinions to you as news which ultimately gets you to believe what they are saying-- and they have done a pretty darn good job of that, haven't they? There are plenty of factors that go into this including for ratings! If you think the big news corporations care about each and every one of us and think they have our best interest, think again! I have found that conversation, real life experiences, and reading Bills and legislation directly from the White House are the best ways for informing myself on political matters. Understanding the foundations of America established in 1776 and how we can use those ideas in our modern world by reading historical documents such as the Constitution are also important. There are plenty of qualified people on both sides of the political spectrum. If you are solely forming your political opinion off the news, you are probably getting brainwashed just like what you think is happening to the other side.

BONUS: Think for yourself and use common sense!

Thanks for reading!

XOXO

-Lexi

(P.S. Overall election results aside, and taking all things into consideration, just remember that over 74.2 million people voted for President Trump in 2020-- that still broke the record for most presidential votes in US history. You are not alone!)

Follow me on Instagram: @Lexi_Vincento & @Unlimited.Daylight