I shared a #BlackLivesMatter post on Facebook and pissed some people off.

Today I stumbled on this gem on Facebook:

I thought it was short and sweet. In two small sentences, it made skimmers think about a few of the problems that America has been raging about in the past few weeks. Considering I normally share things like this on my Facebook feed, I didn’t think anything of it.

Until my shared post was met with this response from a family friend:

To which I replied,

Hi _______! With all due respect, division is the last thing that I am looking for, and the post itself has little to no relation to dividing anyone. As a biracial woman, I see both sides of many arguments regarding the racial tension in America. I have faced micro-aggressions at numerous levels. I speak for hundreds upon thousands of Americans when I say that many people still face unjust oppression and judgement to this day. While the White House was built approximately 200 years ago, Michelle Obama spoke on this in her speech at the Democratic Convention, which drew a lot of negative backlash.

That being said, I think the best and most effective way for us as a nation to move forward from such hostility is through extensive, respectful dialogue. Without a conversation on the matter of racial tension, there can be no growth. One of my many goals in life is to bring light to wrongful treatment, whether that be towards blacks, whites, Asians, Hispanics, Latinos, Native Americans, and so forth.

I have the upmost respect for you _______. You are a wonderful woman and I look up to you in many ways. As a young person who strives to be progressive in all aspects of life, sharing photos like this brings awareness to a problem that I personally relate and have been a victim to myself. If this sparked something within you that caused you to share a comment, then I’ve done my job as a proponent.

Opinions are beautiful. I am fully capable of standing by mine while also respecting yours. I look forward to seeing you the next time you’re in the area. Keep an eye out in the mail, you should be receiving a thank you card from me sometime soon! Best regards 😊

Part of me almost felt guilty for responding to a Facebook comment so extensively. My passive aggressive instinct made me feel as though stating my opinion was somehow wrong.

But after further thought, I realized that my opinions were mine to have, and I should love and appreciate them freely. As activists, we will face scrutiny with every strive we make for our causes. It is important, going forward, that we stand tall with our beliefs, no matter the magnitude.