Many people have made it a habit of judging someone or something right away, but do some people take it too far or jump to conclusions too soon? I have seen many different stories or even heard people judge things or people that they know nothing about. I understand that people do have their own opinions and have the right to freedom of speech, but I feel like people should get to know someone or get all of the facts about something, before they go and talk negatively about those things. Most people normally don’t say anything too rude or don’t mean to sound rude at all and honestly most of the time there is a compliment involved in the discussion.

There was a recent story that was written and published in the local newspaper, without any editing, by a man who was from out of town about the local Dairy Queen. There were many compliments about the cleanliness, the moistness of the brisket, and the employees. The story had a great deal of compliments, but it went downhill after a minor complaint about a soggy bun. First, the employee that the man wrote about is a minor, and he had no right to use her name, as he had no permission from her or her parents to use it in the article despite the nice comments made towards her. The man continued and offered a solution about toasting the bun, on the BBQ Brisket sandwich, before serving it to the costumer. He mentioned in the article that it was “virtually impossible to eat” because of the sogginess in the bottom bun. If the man had asked the managers about his concerns, they would have explained that all buns are toasted, not just once, but twice; it is hard to avoid the sogginess, as there is no shortage on the brisket or the barbeque sauce, which was also stated. He had to switch from eating with his hands, to using a fork and a knife, which are provided on the tray or on a nearby counter, as the sandwich was not expected to be a “hold and eat sandwich”. If the man was living locally, in Alliance, he would have known that the Dairy Queen establishment is a locally owned/run business, and has been since 1969. This Dairy Queen, like many others, owns the name, but is not a franchise, so they are not allowed to have “meals as advertised on TV”, which was this mans complaint, without being sued, as they do not pay for that right. The complaints went on to the high prices, which are actually nearly average compared to other establishments in town. I understand the concerns of both sides, but if the man would have known the facts before writing the story, or had someone who lived locally edit it, they may not of have been these issues. Wren Wilcox, the owner of the Dairy Queen, says “We always want our customers happy. We never want you to leave feeling anything less than satisfied. If you have a concern please let the Management know and we will do what we can to make it right”. The issues with the article have been noted and addressed by the owner herself and the parent of the employee, who was spoken about in the article.

As a High School student myself, I have jumped to conclusions about people, places, or things without the information about them before I say something. Everybody does it and we can all avoid wrong impressions if everyone can get the facts before they say anything negative.