Pleasantries and politics: A recipe for disaster

Given the current political climate, there is nothing wrong with ending friendships with people who would happily vote away your human rights.
Brace yourself, for the following sentence is a rather unpopular opinion, but in light of the world’s current political state, it is not unwarranted. It’s no secret that politics was never the best dinner table talk, however, we are now in a place where sharing friendships with people who share radically different views than you is not a good idea whatsoever.
This opinion is more crafted around the political landscape of the US, but that’s not to say Canadian politics do not hold the same weight, as oftentimes we tend to follow the political trends of our American neighbours.
Before you get your panties in a bunch and think I am being dramatic or lack the ability to set aside differences, allow me to explain. Casting a vote should be more about which candidates’ economic policies are going to benefit your financial class most. Or which government programs you would value seeing most in your communities. In a world where that’s politics, I think it’s entirely OK to find friendship in people with differing views. However, we have found ourselves moving backwards to a time when your vote carries high stakes and can be the difference between certain people having basic human rights. To put it simply: Anyone who would vote against your rights, is not a friend.
We have reached a time when leaders are radical, are sometimes poor representations of their parties, sometimes not even necessarily aligning with their party’s traditional beliefs. These leaders create a huge divide from the left and the right, which erases the middle ground that people who maybe supported different parties but still found friendship without feeling disrespected were able to find.
The current political landscape is a chaotic battlefield, and social media has been a loaded gun. Not only can anyone throw misinformation around like confetti, but social media has given political figures a chance to manipulate information and engage in more casual interactions with the public, which can hide the truth and affect people’s abilities to form opinions on their own. A lack of education is a set of rose-coloured glasses, and some people are very unaware of the change happening right in front of them. The less you know, the more they get away with. Knowledge is power, so taking the time to properly educate yourself is crucial right now.
It’s no secret that most people gather information from posts they see online, and very few take steps beyond that to further research and fact check with reliable sources. This also makes civil political discourse very difficult, and one too many uncivilized discussions do not make for a healthy friendship.
If we ever again reach a place when leaders are not radical, when political parties are not a reflection of our morals, and when our vote isn’t responsible for stripping human rights, then I would see it entirely fit for us not to remain as divided. But for now, there is nothing wrong with walking away from people that would be OK with actively voting against your humanity and place in this world.
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.