Washington Week: Student Voices (O)

Column: Our way of life against theirs?
By Jes Scheinpflug
The Daily Vidette, Illinois State U.
August 21, 2008

Do you constantly try to justify your thoughts or actions? "It's alright that I got drunk last night, I went to all my classes" or "I'll accept that I spent four hours on Facebook because I exercised for an hour afterward."

I frequently try to justify my thoughts and actions too. Not only do I try to justify them for myself, but for others.

So many different opinions and ways of life exist. Is it immoral to eat meat because as a result, we are indirectly murdering animals? Do animals have rights? Are terrorists who sacrifice their lives for political, religious or patriotic issues considered immoral? Would it have been legal to murder Hitler and prevent the death of millions of innocent people?

Should the government be allowed to keep secrets if they believe it will protect us or increase our happiness? Is homosexual marriage wrong?

Does homosexual marriage take away merit from traditional marriage? If homosexual marriage was allowed, would all unconventional marriages be allowed, like polygamy, incest or bestiality? Is slippery slope ever a valid argument?

Throughout the semester I hope to discuss such issues, but I think the following is a necessary predecessor.

My friend Kelly asked me to ponder the statement and life philosophy of her grandparents: "Our way of life against theirs." After much thought, I could not come up with a meaning or explanation, but I did decide that I dislike the sentence.

Why does it have to be our way of life against anyone? Is it possible to live in a world of difference with love, compassion and understanding?

Since I believe all people are essentially good, I think we can. Yes, sometimes people make bad decisions, but we are all inherently good people searching for ultimate happiness. Since we are human beings, we have downfalls and contradictions. However, we all have the potential and capacity to "be the change we want to see in the world."

To be a change in the world does not mean converting others to your way of life and beliefs. The change that I want to see in this world is the acceptance of everyone's way of life.

We are all more similar than we can ever understand. What human being does not want to be happy? Do you really think anyone would make a choice to intentionally make him or herself unhappy? No matter how much we disagree with any choice or way of life, it made someone happy and we should therefore accept it even if we disagree.

Don't get me wrong, I am not condoning murder or anything of the sort. The rule, or possible exception, to any choice is if the benefits (like happiness) outweigh the harms (unhappiness, death, etc.). Agree or disagree, it is always possible to observe why someone made a decision and chose a certain way of life.

Many scenarios and issues threaten society with many different possibilities for a way of life. Abortion, euthanasia, animal rights, terrorism, etc. have more than two arguments or opinions to each side. However, I believe that each opinion is formed in order to create a better way of life.

Many people have completely opposite views, but the main goal is usually to make the most moral decision.

We might not ever understand other people even if attempted. It might be difficult to grasp how someone can live in a third world country, be starving and striving but smile more than any American. It might be difficult to understand why terrorists commit suicide and kill thousands to prove a point.

We might not understand how our parents' generation thought huge hair and large reading glasses in their yearbook pictures could ever be attractive. I will never understand how wearing a belt around your torso is a fashion statement, but the point is that each person is entitled to his or her own way.

It is so cliché to say that this is America, and we have freedom, but do you take advantage of it? Even more importantly, I ask you to ponder: Do you entitle everyone to their freedom by accepting their way of life?

It is not our way of life against theirs. We are humanity sharing the only world we will ever have; it is just THE way of life.

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