Should you end friendships over political differences?

I keep seeing this same sentiment come up time and time again on my social media feed and wanted to address it: Is it legitimate to end a friendship over opposing political beliefs? In my opinion, doing so is absolutely justified (depending on the circumstances or extent of the difference).

Of course, I do not think we should “cancel” important people in our lives over minute differences of opinion (and the idea of canceling is something I want to discuss further, at some point). However, fit is very clear that the people saying these things – about all of us being kind to each other after the election, “we’re still going tome neighbors!” – completely miss the point.

It definitely matters who is in office to many people, and if it doesn’t impact you (I’m talking mainly to people I went to high school/middle school with – as well as some family members – who seem to think that argumentative comments online are somehow more destructive than real institutional inequalities, but I suppose I’m the snowflake here, right?), it sure as hell does impact many others.

So, if you’re sharing this dumb shit online or hold these beliefs, then please unfriend me. It doesn’t have to be forever (canceling people entirely is kind of stupid because it doesn’t encourage growth), but I don’t really want that ignorance in my life, honestly. I value relationships with people who consciously put in an effort to grow and learn more than their small bubble offers.

I’m genuinely curious as to why certain people have this mindset that the outcome of this election is this seemingly irrelevant. The government has greater control over our lives than any other institution in place?? Of course it matters??

But what do I know, I’m just some dumb-commie-snowflake lefty who is triggered by everything and wants everyone to agree with my opinions because I’m always right. Anyway, I guess it doesn’t matter now because Biden is President and he’s going to turn the US into some socialist Venezuelan utopia (looking @ you, crazy people who religiously watch Fox News as their main source of information).