Today is January 20, 2017 - Election Day. Today is also a day a longtime friendship of mine ended abruptly over whom I voted for.
The friend, who will remain nameless, was one of my closest in high school. We shared the same interests, the same summer jobs. We would go for regular walks during the evening hours, to talk about our days, confide in each other, and help each other with any problems we may have been going through.
After high school, we remained close buddies. I was even the best man for his first wedding.
Well, it's been almost 30 years since high school, and each of us have differed more and more apart, politically - I drifted to the right after college, he sped to the far-left. At no point in our friendship, though, did we bring politics into play. But here's the thing - as I got older, I became more accepting of everyone's political ideologies, while he became more angry with people that didn't see the world his way.
Fast forward to today. Donald Trump was sworn in as the 45th President of the United States. Now, I have been backing the losing candidate for years. I took each election loss with humility, and freely congratulated folks who backed the winning horse. Now, for the first time in years, the candidate I voted for has become President. Today was MY turn to celebrate. So, I hopped on Facebook and posted a celebratory picture, as Democrats have done each time a Democrat got sworn in.
Almost immediately, this long-time friend posted a comment: "Bye, Glen. Enjoy your guns and your sense of entitlement. Thanks for being part of the problem."
This long-time friend knows the content of my character, knows I am kind to everyone, treats everyone equally, respects the views of others, and that I have been gracious to him as he became more and more angry at the world over the years. But, apparently his evaluating others' worth through a political lens has turned me into a backwards, ignorant, shoot-at-anything redneck maniac. All because I didn't vote like he did. And me being happy about an election for the first time in years was just the trigger to set him off. I still don't understand the "sense of entitlement" part of his comment. All I'm entitled to are the rights provided to me under the Constitution, and those that I have earned through hard work and earning the respect of others (aren't we all entitled to those things?)...
My first thought was to respond to his comment with something equally-pointed, but I immediately stopped myself, for that's not how to be sensitive to and accepting of others' views.
My response became: "I
appreciate your input. Surprised to see our friendship is viewed
through a political lens. Oh well. I wish you the best, though."
I fear my response fell on deaf ears, as that friendship - online and in real life - was apparently ended the moment after he finished typing.
I know he is angry about the election, as many people are. That's fine. But to make politics the measuring stick by which you place another human being's worth, then to cut and run with an online jab? I've never done it, will never do it, and hope others don't end up losing friends because of it.
While he is, apparently, done with me, I still value the friendship we have had, and I hope he finds happiness.
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