Know Thyself-my shortened version

Know Thyself
How does anyone come to form an opinion on an issue? Choosing a side on a debatable topic can say a lot about a certain persons’ morals and beliefs, thus explaining why it is so important to become as informed upon an issue as possible. In terms of the issue, it is important to look at all sides before developing an opinion on the subject; a person should be well informed on the issue at hand in order to develop an opinion that is not ignorant. While facts are important, so are parents, teachers, and other mentor figures shape the views of those who look up to them. On an issue like the death penalty, every detail is important to shaping an opinion. One must look to concrete facts and evidence, which contribute to each argument and speak to surrounding significant members of society in order to develop an opinion.
When first developing an opinion on the issue of the death penalty, I wanted to make sure that I had my facts right. The media can report a lot of often contradictory, “facts”; it is important that one obtains the right information. Faulty information from the media misleads people into believing false things. I managed to look at specific articles that were credible sources on both sides of the issue. I made sure to look at every angle on this issue before forming an opinion, taking both sides into consideration. If a person chooses only to become well informed on one side of the issue, he or she is being ignorant. Without knowing “all the facts”, one can never develop a credible opinion. I can see both sides of the issue at hand, but in the end, the idea behind wanting to take a person’s life for committing a crime like this seems illogical. Both sides of the argument make valid points on the matter, but it seemed to me as though there were fewer points that were pro-death penalty. However, it is important that I did take the time to learn and understand both sides of the issue; had I not done so, my opinion would be completely disregarded in society as uninformed.
The people I surround myself with also have a huge influence on forming my opinion. It is important to develop an opinion on the matter, but it is almost impossible to be completely uninfluenced by parents, teachers, peers, or anyone else. When first asked about the issue, I took my parent’s side, and decided the death penalty was unjust. They have had a big impact on shaping my opinions on debatable issues and I have come to respect their opinions. I then look towards my peers for influence, most of whom were for the death penalty. Their inability to look at the other side of the argument seemed to completely turn me off to even considering the opinion that the death penalty can be justified. I believe it is not a good thing to be completely close-minded on a subject like this. Mentors, such as coaches and teachers, whom I highly respected, also influenced me. I took into account those whom I admired and what their thoughts on the subject are.
However, both factors really contribute to one another in forming my opinion. I cannot seem to look at one without taking the other two into consideration. By looking at these factors, I try to get a look at the complete issue. In terms of the death penalty, I make sure that I have looked at all of the facts before applying a biased opinion formed by my mentors. By doing this I am able to form my own opinion on the matter.