Who says I’ve never been abused by the system?  I’m wary of everyone, including cops.  People are people, no matter what title they happen to carry—and people of all social statuses, races, religions, countries, and genders experience both privilege and abuse.  I’m merely hoping that instead of replaying the vicious cycle of attack and retaliation, the world can learn to tolerate differences in and show respect for others.  Is it an idealistic hope?  Sure.  Will it ever come to pass?  Probably not.  But in the world of Tumblr and other internet sites—where thoughts and opinions can be expressed easily and reached by a large community—I believe that steps can and must be made to increase a level of patience and tolerance.  This isn’t to say that it’s not okay to get angry.  Anger and frustration are often completely justifiable and should be expressed.  But I’ve witnessed many online discussions wherein opinionated people lash out at each other without taking steps to actually listen to one another.  Now, listening does not equal agreeing.  But if everyone at least tried to understand different points of view, I feel like arguments would be structured more clearly and subjects would be emphasized more respectfully and with increased poignancy.