I've come to realize that being objective is something many people struggle with greatly, including myself. We've all grown up with news outlets leaning one way and discretely placing words and forming sentences to curb an opinion.
I’ve learned through Inipi (Native American ceremony) and speaking to my teachers that the best way to go through life is with an open heart and an open mind. I'd like to think that this way of life is reflected through my work but I know it is not. We are all influenced by every single thing. What we like and what we hate.
Like most people, I form opinions and assign labels without realizing. Lately, I've learned that this just makes my life harder, not anyone else’s. So, I should probably just fucking stop doing it and become aware enough to realize when it’s clouding my perception of the world around me.
With most of the OTM assignments, I reference and go off of the opinions and attitudes that I hear from the hosts and the guests. It can range anywhere from the structure of a sentence or the tone the speaker is taking while reporting or commenting on a story. Most of what I wrote about, I already knew about from another news outlet before hearing it on On The Media.
And I learned something about myself: I don’t like religion interfering with the law and I don’t like that women and people of any diverse culture are placed below the middle to upper-class, middle-aged, white man.
When writing about Kim Davis, I remember being very angry that it was even a story, nonetheless making national headlines. A common theme that I notice through my work and my life is a distaste for organized religion. It makes an appearance every day in my life and I come face-to-face with it constantly because of the school I chose to attend. On days that I’m lacking self-awareness it comes out as anger and a bias. Most days I strive to keep a fair and open mind and understand both sides. That’s easier said than done.
I’m triggered by issues of equality and inequality.
As a twenty-year-old from the south side of Chicago brought up by a single, non-religious mom, I was raised to be kind and open to the differences the world has to offer. However, by saying that I do not under any circumstance believe that means I’ll let someone throw their opinions at me like they’re facts and I’m wrong for thinking any different. Sure I have some bias towards certain issues and many are looked down upon in the community I reside in. I believe that as a non-religious student, I should not have to learn about religion when I’m not in a class teaching religion. I believe that morals range from one human to the next, so why so much judgment? I believe that women are just as smart as men and should have equal opportunities. I believe that my best friend Terrence (T-Rexx) should have the opportunity to have a voice, no matter the environment. I believe that my other best friend, Chandler should be able to marry his boyfriend because I can marry my boyfriend if I so desired. I believe with all of my being that we all believe in something different, so who’s to say what’s right?
I enjoy reading everyone’s blogs because on some level, I learn about the person behind the screen writing them. I definitely disagreed with some of what I read but I get some insight to the way people think.
Understanding the difference between the suggestions that you grew up with from your parents and grandparents, clergy, wards, aunts, uncles, pastors and bishops, and peeling those away and discovering what you actually think and believe, is the beginning of having self awareness and will lead to you expressing your own beliefs in a honest manner. This self-awareness is what I’m striving for right now, to know what is mine and what are the suggestions that family, culture and society have thrust upon me.
So far, the best that I can hope for is to have self awareness and be responsible and acknowledge when I'm coming from judgment.
Everybody is influenced by everything and we're lying to ourselves if we don't acknowledge that. Very few people have original thoughts. As I understand and learn about myself, I can let go of the things that don't fit for me.
Like the students in my Interpersonal Communications class describe me, I’m a “gay-loving, tattooed, culturally diverse, drug dealing-alcoholic.”
