If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all! My parents taught me that when I was a kid and sometimes I think I'm the only one. Yes, this is America and you are free to speak your mind but that doesn't mean that you need to or should do so....especially when what you have to say is just plain rude.
I've noticed people tend to get REAL BRAVE with what they say on the internet and post things they probably wouldn't say in real life. Think about what you post on your Facebook page....then think about all your 1000 or 200 or however many friends, and then think about saying the words you post to each person on your friend list individually. They may not all agree with you, and they don't have to, but did you offend anyone? Probably...and maybe you don't care...but that's kind of rude to your friend don't you think?
Now, I'm all for differing opinions. Maybe you're opposed to tax increases because you want to keep the money you make and you don't trust politicians to make good decisions with your money. Maybe your friend makes enough money to be comfortable and is OK with paying 2% more in taxes if it means we feed a few more hungry kids. It's fine to express that you disagree with a tax hike (or agree with one). It's not really OK to say you disagree with a tax hike, without any justification, and say anyone who disagrees with you is a complete idiot and should just get the hell out of America. That's not a cool thing to say.
I've also noticed that in casual face-to-face conversations a lot of people seem to assume that I have the same opinions or experiences as them. (Because we look the same or because we work at the same place or live in the same town...we must be basically the same right?) They'll say really discriminatory or rude things about other people (or sometimes about my experiences or beliefs they are unaware of) and expect me to agree with them. I'll give you an example: I have 2 tattoos, but they're never visible at work. Someone at work went on a rant to me about how tattoos are unprofessional and disgusting and why would anyone ever want to ruin their bodies like that and on and on. They assumed I didn't have tattoos...but I do. And like many things, it's OK for that person not to like tattoos but why do they feel the need to judge those that have them? I'm not making you get one so how does something on my body affect you? Tattoos are just one small example, this has happened to me many times in other situations.
Sometimes I'm judgmental too; I'm not saying I'm a perfect person. But, I do try my best to be open-minded and understand what other people are going through. Another thing I heard a lot growing up was, "Don't judge someone until you've walked a mile in their shoes." I think that's something everyone should live by too. Let's all try to make the world a slightly nicer place by trying not to judge others, and if you really can't help it at least try to do so in silence.
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