Your right to swing your fist ends where mine begins

When discussing controversial subjects, opinions are generally loud, sometimes crude, and almost always very close to people's hearts and moral beliefs. It is quite easy for tempers to flare and for people to begin shouting about 'rights' - usually to imply that theirs are being stepped on. It's for this reason that I think it's necessary to begin our blog-tacular journey with this rather well known and eternally relevant quote:

The right to swing my fist ends where the other man's nose begins.
Oliver Wendell Holmes

So, what does it mean? It means that you have every right in the world to have your opinion and to live your life in the way that you see fit - and so do I. For me, that means loving my beautiful (female) partner; treating my two gorgeous puppies like humans; speaking up for the rights of LGBTQI people, Indigenous peoples, refugees, and those who have been affected by abuse and mental illness; eating ham and pineapple pizza without the pineapple; and refusing to kill bugs but still eating meat.
So if you're against homosexuality, same sex marriage, or same sex parenting - that's fine, it's your right.
If you don't like spoilt puppies - all good dude, I totally respect you.
Don't think we should let immigrants into the country? Well, that's your opinion.
You think I'm crazy for pulling bits off my pizza and like to eat yours whole? I'm sure you're not the first one to say so.
And if you're vegan, good for you too!
See, it's your right to be different to me. You can start a blog about it if you want. Write a book. Set up a protest. Try to educate others to your point of view. Live your life the way you want to live it!

But here comes the line.

It's ok to think different, speak different, and act different. Swing your arms around all you like. But it's NOT ok to try to force those differences onto others. It's NOT ok to slam your fist into someone else's nose.

So, you don't like gay marriages? Don't get one. But don't try to stop others from doing so.
Don't like religion? Don't got to church. But don't make it illegal for others to go.
Don't like eating meat? Don't eat it. But don't try to take it away from a tiger while he's eating.

Are we clear? Good. Because if everyone gets this one simple rule, things will be a lot easier from now on.