I'm Bad At Titles

I feel like I'm just repeating everyone before me, but to be completely the right to think isn't a concept I often find myself pondering. As an American growing up in the 21st century, my right to think has never come into question, I've always been allowed to think as I wish without much reprimand. Sure, I've thought about it before, but not in depth. Whenever we learn about thing the the Constitution and all the rights it gives us is when it comes to mind more. I believe everyone has the right to think. There is no one out there to stop you from it. But the difference is some of us have the right to voice our thoughts and sometimes even act upon them.

This goes along with things that Karen and Alex have already noted. In some countries acting upon/voicing your thoughts on certain things have been deemed illegal. But is it really illegal for you to think them? How would the Chinese government know you're a Christian if you've never practiced it, simply believe it in your mind?

I suppose this play just made me think about it a little more beyond the surface. It has occurred to me before that if I lived in certain other countries how different it would be. But thinking, it's really a free thing isn't it? No one knows your exact thoughts, no one can read them. Its the thoughts that your display through your actions and words that get read. It boggles me that in other countries people can simply tell you what to think, despite that fact that that's not even possible. I'm slightly confused about how someone could even take away your right to think. Your thoughts are simply just that, your thoughts. The government could not change them no matter how hard you try.

Dave Zhangs post also brought up a good point, about how children often just take on the opinions and views of their parents and the people around them. But is that really avoidable? Although we all have the right to think, there are a lot of things that can easily influence your thoughts. For example, my religious views are Lutheran. Why? Because when I was little my dad took me to a Lutheran church and my grandpa was an usher up until the day he died. Had my dad taken me, to say, a Synagog, would I be celebrating Yom Kippur next week?

Well, I think I'm beginning to talk in circles, which you clearly told us not to do. So I'll end here. All I know is that I'm very grateful that I'm allowed my own opinion, and the right to voice it.

-Christina Nowicki