The 2016 presidential election is slowly coming to a close, and boy has this one been a doozy. I cannot even begin to describe the ups and downs we have had since the candidates announced they were running. In the end, the top candidates are also probably the most controversial of the selection. On the Republican side, we have Donald Trump. He is known for being loud-mouthed, racist and many other things. On the Democrat side, we have Hilary Clinton. She is known for being a liar, and, depending who you talk to, a criminal. Either way, many people have seen this election as choosing the lesser of two evils.

This article is not going to be supporting or bashing either of the candidates, though. This article is going to be taking a look at the voters. Because of my age, I do not remember a lot of presidential elections. The ones I do remember besides Trump vs. Clinton are Bush vs. Kerry, Obama vs. McCain, and Obama vs. Romney. Throughout these elections, I remember protesters. There were disagreements. There were probably also some riots. However, I do not remember feeling such a strong sense of hatred. Hatred towards the candidates, and hatred towards their supporters. And both sides are guilty of this.

During this election, I have seen friendships ruined. I have seen family members not talk to each other. All because they disagree on who should be president. Personally, I feel this is a bit ridiculous. Trump supporters are called racists and are being accused of hating all immigrants. Clinton supporters are called idiots. People scream at them for voting for a liar. They are also accused of voting for Hillary only because she is a woman. It is almost impossible today to have a civilized debate about who should become president. As one married woman put it, "Years ago we [my husband and I] used to look forward to watching an intelligent debate together — but now it’s a forum of insults."

People need to remember one thing. Who someone is voting for does not sum up who they are entirely as a person. It is only one part of them. Also, it might not even truly be them. They just may be voting for who they think is not as terrible as the other. Friends who know each other better than the back of their hands should know that even if they don't agree politically, they are still great friends. Voting for Donald Trump does not immediately make a person racist. Voting for Hillary Clinton does not mean a person is a liar.

People are allowed to vote for who they want. That is the beauty of democracy. People should not be afraid to voice their opinion because of possible backlash. Throughout this entire election, I have only told a small selection of people who I am voting for because I am afraid of losing friends who disagree with me. That should not be happening in our country. We should be able to have a voice. We should be able to have a civilized debate without name calling. I remember when that was still possible. It's gotten to the point where the media is going above and beyond in slandering the names of the candidates. Now, I'm not saying that people don't have the right to do this. We have freedom of speech and can say what we want. However, even if the media is biased, should they not still be professional when bringing their opinions or news to the public? When a group of people is having a debate or discussion, should they not listen and be respectful of the views and beliefs of others?

Not everybody is going to agree on who is best for the job. Nobody should let this disagreement ruin their relationship with someone who is close to them. In the end, someone is going to be happy and the other is going to be disappointed. But, what is worse: having a president you don't agree with or losing a good friend/family member? What is more permanent: four-eight years of a man or woman attempting to bring their vision into our country, or a lifetime of friendship and love? Think about that next time you start going beyond civilized debating.