I will be the first to say that I love America. I love having the ability to say what I want, write what I want, and, most of all, praise the Lord as I wish. I love this country. I love my family, and I love my friends. What I do not love is the 2016 presidential election. I finally am old enough to vote, yet I wish I was not. Why do I say these things? Because I see way too many people turning against one another. I see one crooked presidential candidate pitted against an egotistical jerk presidential candidate, then a third-party candidate that did not even know what the city of Aleppo was during an interview on MSNBC’s Morning Joe. I have heard people say America is doomed. (I also heard that when Obama ran for his second term, so it is nothing new to hear during any election.)
What is different about this election is that it is causing tension where it is not needed. I can not get on social media anymore without seeing at least one political argument on my timeline. I simply do not understand it. Yes, we are all entitled to our own opinions but to attack every single post on the internet is absurd. We should be trying to fix this nation, not rip it apart because you do not agree with someone else's opinion. No opinion on who to vote for is wrong because it is just that, AN OPINION. It is that person’s preference.
Of course, political banter is expected during the election season. What is not expected is arguing with people and completely cutting them out of your life because he/she supports a certain candidate is not. It is childish and does nothing but cause tension where it is not needed. I have seen families fighting on the internet over this. Yes, families probably sitting in the same house but in different rooms fighting over a post one shared on a candidate.
Previously, most people shared things on the internet simply to pass on information about each candidate. This would help others decide which candidate to vote for. Sure, some may only share posts promoting only one candidate, but that’s okay because the Constitution gives them that right. What some people do not seem to realize lately is that everyone is going to have different views from theirs, and this is something that needs to be accepted. All of your friends are not going to be pro-guns or against abortion or whatever their beliefs are on each topic. Having different stances and beliefs are what makes our country a democracy. Being American means we are free. We are free to have different political beliefs and you should never delete someone on social media, or completely count them out of your life because of that. I have friends and even family that are on both sides on the ideas of guns and immigration. Will I stop being friends the ones who disagree with me? Will I disown any family members that say they are right and I am wrong? No, of course not because political beliefs do not define friendship or family.
What everyone needs to keep in mind is that once this election is over, either Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton will have the title of president. If the candidate you fought family and friends so hard for loses, what will you be left with? The satisfaction of belittling people during what should be healthy political discussions and social media interaction? No, stop being a part of the problem with this election. Stop trying to rip this nation apart. We should stand united as a people to help support the winner of the election and help this nation grow under whichever candidate wins the title of president.
