We've been told that legislation to tackle sectarianism will put people off voting Yes to an independent Scotland. We've heard that the Olympics would do the same. (I thought Team GB did brilliantly, by the way.) We've heard it about gay marriage. We've even heard it about the Queen's diamond jubilee. And now we're hearing it about the SNP and NATO.
This is missing the point and lowering the standard of what should undoubtedly be the greatest opportunity to debate Scotland's future.
And that is my point. The referendum, the debate, this campaign: it's all about opportunity.
The debate in itself is an opportunity for people all across our nation to discuss what the next step should be on Scotland's constitutional journey. If that means folk like former Tory Party member Peter De Vink and former SSP MSP Colin Fox disagree on policies but agree on the direction of travel, then that's fine.
Then there's the opportunity that being independent brings.
And that's the beauty of it. You see, being independent allows us the opportunity to actually take decisions about the big issues.
We've all got our opinions on them - even those in the No camp have varying opinions on defence, foreign affairs, the EU and the economy. Yes, they're sometimes controversial, and yes, folk will have varying opinions on NATO, gay marriage, the monarchy, the EU, a single currency, welfare reform, immigration, austerity - you name it.
But that's natural.
We live in a modern, diverse Scotland - a Scotland where people have varying opinions on defence, the constitution, benefits, economics and foreign policy - all things currently decided in Westminster.
So, since we have those opinions, why shouldn't we get to make decisions on them as a nation? Surely the people best placed to take those decisions are us Scots?
The referendum is about opportunity - not the latest single issue you read about in the paper but in fact the real opportunities that could make this country a fairer, stronger, more socially just and ultimately better place to live and grow up.
- David Linden is 22, lives in Glasgow and is a member of our Young Scots group, which you can join here.
