Politics, friendship and freedom

Why fanatics should not take away our rights

Photo by Cherrydeck on Unsplash

I have friends from all over the political spectrum. Recently a friend visited me from New York. She and I have been friends since we were both 13 years old. We used to go to each others’ houses, listen to music, have long sun drenched conversations while swimming in her pool. Our parents treated us both like daughters.

While she was visiting me, my bf took us out to lunch. The conversation at one point turned to politics. My friend voted for Trump. My bf is a liberal who voted for Biden. I am an independent who leans libertarian. I voted for Andrew Yang in the primary because I thought he had the most interesting ideas and he seems like a really sharp guy. I ended up voting third party in the general.

Needless to say, the political conversation at the lunch table could have turned hostile. I’ve seen this happen. In today’s political climate, people can get really heated and friendships can end. Families can be torn apart as children refuse to speak to parents or vice versa. It’s almost like a mini-Civil War. At least so far we don’t have casualties on the battlefield; it’s sad enough when there are empty seats at the Thanksgiving table.

So when the conversation turned to politics over lunch, a part of me braced for hostility. My anxiety…