"Everyone is going to hate me because I was interviewed for my political views and now I will be in an article with my friend." That's a direct quote from a text I got from one of my good friends the other day. He gave me permission to share quotes from our conversation, and sadly, his concern that people would hate him because he voiced his political views to a reporter writing an article is far too common. Every four years (and sometimes more often), people get unfriended and blocked for sharing their political views. Friendships end, and sometimes are never recovered, because of differing political beliefs. And to be very honest, I think that's very petty, and that's what I told my friend. Everyone has a right to their own opinion. My friend noted that he prays for both candidates, and that he had researched both sides of the election. He said that in his interview, he had reasoning behind his personal views and he thought he was respectful towards both candidates. And in response, I told him, "then who cares what other people think? If you did your research and are voting for a candidate that aligns with your beliefs, then good for you. I'm not going to unfriend you if it's not the same person I end up voting for." No matter who he ends up voting for (which honestly is no business of mine), I will still be proud to be his friend. All of my friends are entitled to their own opinions, and I respect that. You should based on YOUR beliefs and YOUR convictions, not the beliefs and convictions of someone else. In addition, being scared into voting for a candidate you do not align with, just because you're scared of losing friends...it's not worth it. Election day gives you the chance to voice YOUR opinion. Not the opinion of your parents, grandparents, siblings, university presidents, significant others, friends…they all get to vote too. Let them vote for who they want to vote for, and you do you.
Because to be honest, at this point I won't be voting for a specific candidate. I'll be voting for the platform. I'll be voting for the Supreme Court judges that will be elected. I'll be voting for majority of the Senate and Congress. I'll be voting for specific issues that are near and dear to my heart. And my vote may not align with my family member's, or my friend's. But that's okay. As long as they made a well informed choice based on their beliefs, who am I to question or bash it? Let's think back to the final question in the second debate, and the answers to it. Regardless of the current rhetoric,” Karl Becker asked, “would either of you name one positive thing that you respect in one another?" And both candidates could. I think it's time to realize that bashing other people who don’t share our opinions just isn’t going to cut it. In the end, we will all disagree with one another on one issue or another. But we can disagree politely, and still appreciate, love, and respect the other person. Shouldn't we all be able to say one positive thing we respect about each other? You don’t have to lose friends over an election. People are worth more than their political views.
