"Rather than alter our opinion, we distort incoming information in a way that makes it support our initial assumptions"

It's the monumentous subjects I often struggle with: the war in Iraq, racism, freedom of speech. I, along with the rest of today's youth, are so inexperienced. What knowledge do we have to go on, to form our opinions? Everyone watches the news. The experienced person can relate, the intelligent can only analyze. How can I take a side on the war in Iraq if I don't even know the whole story? If I don't know what the troops are facing everyday, or what goes through the President's mind every time he makes even the slighest decision affecting the war? Or how about the constant influxe of opinions from biased adults? Often times, their experience is their demise: or their fortitude, whichever way you look at it. Either way, they influence the youth. Sometimes its positive, sometimes its negative. I know that for me, I am easily swayed by well-supported opinions. But with the proper knowledge and way with words, anyone could have well-supported opinions, couldn't they? So ultimately, I have decided not to become rigid in my opinions, let some of the worldly knowledge and experiences wash over me in time, and then, in a few years, I too will have the knowledge and experience to form well-supported opinions. Another hint to myself? ( and anyone else struggling with the same issues) Don't bite off more than you can chew. We can observe, we can analyze, but if the issue is too large to comprehend, don't act on pre-conceived notions. And, if I've made any sense at all, the age-old lesson of: looks can be deceiving ties into this as well. I just tend to feel that not having an opinion makes me come across as unintelligent, or weak. I now know that this is not true. Now isn't that incredible? I just solved an issue within myself simply by throwing some words on a page. The astounding power of language at work again. And now, I am going to go eat pizza. See what I mean by not biting off more than you can chew?(and I'm not being literal) I'm not going to wallow in these thoughts the whole night.