Politics these days have consumed our lives, whether you are a teenager or an adult. I’m right-leaning living in a left-leaning environment. So as you can probably tell, voicing my opinion on politics is terrifying — but I hope that writing this will cause others who agree with me to share their opinions.

The Oak Park High School Talon is thought of by some as a left leaning newspaper due to the opinion section, with most of the writers who write opinions being left-leaning. I’m here to fix that, regardless of the amount of backlash I will get from those who disagree with me. There are times in life when you just have to throw something to the wall and hope it sticks.  

You might ask why those who are on the right don’t state their opinions — it’s because we often feel we are looked down upon by people at Oak Park who don’t agree with us.  Right-leaning people get backlash beyond belief. My entire character has been judged by those who disagree with me politically.

There have even been times when it seemed teachers penalized me for my opinions by grading my down on an assignment based on opinion. I hold nothing against that teacher for their  beliefs, so why should they judge me for mine? This isn’t meant to call the teacher out, but to show how vulnerable it feels to express right-leaning views on a left-leaning campus.

People tout the fact that they respect other political beliefs, but in reality, views like mine are often shot down and looked over by others. So, when one shares their political opinion and then  feels attacked, one may no longer share their opinions to the rest of the world. 

The whole idea of right versus left is pretty confusing to me, if I do say so myself. It’s just a name with no actual value to it, but only set in place to share the common beliefs of one another among a group. Yes, I can see that some people do put an actual value and meaning to the name, but I honestly don’t. It’s just a title that is given so people know what to call themselves when it comes to politics. 

I wrote this article to show the school and others who have the same opinions as me that it is okay to write, share or even express your feelings openly. A difference in opinion isn’t grounds for others to denounce or insult anyone. It’s an opinion piece for a reason. 

Take this article to heart and share your opinions respectfully, no matter what others say to you.  Sharing right-leaning opinions in any environment, especially a school campus that is left-leaning, can show that there is more than just one view. The more right-leaning students share their opinions, the better chance we have at ending this divisive political atmosphere both here and in this country.