People should be allowed to believe what they wish and, more importantly, people should be able to voice what they feel. If someone is saying something you don’t agree with, you do not need to do anything more than go somewhere where you can’t hear them.

Everybody has a right to share their views in public, no matter how unpopular those views are.

A mosque in Phoenix, Arizona, recently suffered an anti-Islamic demonstration attended by more than 200 protestors. Vitriol and insults outside of your place of worship is an unpleasant thought.

However, that’s not nearly as scary as the idea of having a strong enough opinion to organize a hateful demonstration like that and not be allowed to voice that opinion.

No one likes to be yelled at, but freedom of speech is an indispensable First Amendment right, and unpleasantness like this is an important part of that.

According to an article on thefreethoughtproject.com, one man who attended the show of solidarity to voice his anti-Muslim stance had a change of heart after being invited into the mosque.

He later said, “I just think everybody’s points are getting misconstrued, saying things out of emotion, saying things they don’t believe.”

The mosque responded well by using tools that build understanding instead of just shouting at the anti-Islam protestors.

No doubt every student at De Anza has chanced upon the Cry to God ministers who are seen yelling in the dining area some afternoons. Most students take the ministers’ appearance as a call to arms to go yell back.

The funny thing is, no matter how may students try to make fun of them, demonstrate their yelling ability or even show them that love of every sexual orientation is valid, the ministers return.

The problem is the ministry’s members believe what they will, and there is no combination of words or heroic action any student can muster that would change those beliefs. Truthfully, if students weren’t so busy trying to outtalk the various street preachers they probably wouldn’t visit our campus as readily as they currently do.

If you really have a problem with the message someone is shouting, the best response is to walk away and let them speak their piece.