Everyone Has a Voice

My generation is the most technological savvy generation the world has ever seen. We pride ourselves in our social media fluency, yet we are not connected. In fact, we are caught in a sad paradigm in which the further we immerse ourselves in social media, the weaker personal connection gets. The reason this saddens me is because I am studying social media in college right now and I see the potential social media has – if we were to use it correctly.

I am one of the biggest advocates there is for social media, but what lies behind social media is the bigger issue. What lies behind social media? Individuals with the world at their fingertips. Technology has given everyone a voice, as if we did not already have voices. Technology has acted as a microphone in which we have amplified voices of influence. Amplifying the voices of influences is good though, right? Keep in mind that influence can be good or bad. Sadly, our country has heeded the advice of bad influence one too many times.

Voice Hiding Behind a Keyboard

By hiding behind a keyboard we are more prone to say things we would never say in person. No “group” of people is immune to this. We see it politically, commercially, and relationally. There’s something about a glass screen that makes people feel entitled to say words they can never retract and feel zero responsibility for saying them.

People are consumed with letting their voice be heard, or being counter-cultural. If you truly want to spark change by being “different” then let’s try playing nice. Seriously, we have enough voices out in the world attacking each other. Somewhere along the way, we traded encouragement and understanding for anger and distortion.

Do not seek to spark controversy; spark change.

Our culture is obsessed with tearing one another down. We crave success, but only if it’s our own. We are quick to point fingers at one another and judge one another. Everyone wants to be a leader and spark change. Realistically, too many people are willing to trample people in order to achieve a position in which they will look back and either have nobody following them, or the few who do will have zero respect for that kind of “leader.”

Silence Your Voice a Moment to Hear Others

Instead communication is designed to better understand one another. Can you imagine what would happen if Washington, DC, for one day, chose to listen instead of talk. Most times people listen with intent to respond, but something beautiful happens when humanity values the thoughts and opinions of others. You can hear an opinion and disagree with it without defacing the person related to the issue.

The concept I desire for everyone to know and take to heart is that every single person has a voice. Where we get into trouble is when we try to take away anyone’s voice. Perhaps the biggest issue today, and the one heaviest on my heart, is taking away the voice of the unborn child.

Suffocating the Voice of an Innocent Child

Abortion is wrong no matter what lens you choose to view it from. We call it abortion because it sounds better than murder. I prefer to be blunt and call it what it is. We have literally suffocated the voice of an innocent child. I have had many conversations about this topic and it breaks my heart.

We cannot continue to tell others how they should think or feel. We cannot control each other’s emotions. Instead, my hope is that we will learn to value the opinions of others, even when they do not correlate with our own. Listening may not be the solution to abortion, but it’s a step in the right direction.

McCanless Asks for Respectful Voices

Everyone has a voice. The first step is listening. Listen for a problem and become the solution. Do not seek to tear down others. Do not seek to spark controversy; spark change. Be bold and stand up for what you believe in. Play a part in something new and exciting. Do not fall into the trap of tearing one another down. Remember that you never look good trying to make someone else look bad. At the end of the day, every individual is responsible for their own actions. I think we would all sleep better at night knowing we respected one another and did not compromise our integrity. Find your voice; use it.