Politics - elections especially - often brings out the absolute worst in people, which we've seen play out in various ways over the years during presidential and midterm election campaign seasons alike.
Some of those forms are extreme, of course, like assassination attempts and other threats of violence, the former of which we unfortunately witnessed twice within a two-month timeframe over the summer against then-GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump.
But though not violent, there are other less extreme ways of acting out post-election that can nevertheless be devastatingly impactful to the individual, their families, friends, and/or communities.
SEE ALSO: The Lefty Meltdown Continues Over Trump's Victory, Including One Woman Who Shaves Her Head in Rage
My colleague Becky Noble, for instance, recently wrote about how a longtime friend of hers cut her off after last Tuesday's election, finding it unacceptable that Becky would support someone like Trump who, that friend's daughter insisted before blocking her on Facebook, allegedly would be okay with a woman dying due to a medical emergency.
"It all seemed so textbook militantly leftist, with each message getting more hostile the more it became clear to her that my views weren't changing, almost as if it was planned," Becky wrote, noting that the choice to end their friendship wasn't hers.
There are other examples of this that people are writing about on social media, including leftists who are openly bragging about cutting ties with any family member or friend who supported the Trump-Vance ticket.
Rick Taylor, a failed 2022 Democrat Senate candidate from Ohio, wrote on Twitter Monday that he had a conversation with his aunt, who had called him regarding Thanksgiving plans. His response? "FAFO":
When it was correctly pointed out that he was part of the problem in this country thanks in part to his "purely evil" actions, Taylor doubled down:
Independent journalist Andy Ngo was among the many who responded accordingly. "This is unhinged. What a terrible nephew you are," he wrote. "Someday your family and love ones will return this treatment to you."
Matt Dawson, known as "Twitter's [conservative] pharmacist," also chimed in. "Meanwhile you’re using the app of the largest donor and contributor to Trump’s campaign. Ok dude," he quipped.
"My parents (unfortunately) voted for Kamala. We'll be having a great family Thanksgiving together nonetheless, because none of us are sociopaths," another Twitter user noted.
I get that people have strong opinions when it comes to politics and current events, but letting them come between family and close friendships is a bridge too far for me. Life really is too short for this stuff. I know many people in our neighborhood who are leftists but they are good people and we look out for each other.
I think where the problem comes in for a lot of people who share Taylor's mindset is that politics is like a religion to them and any deviation from their belief system is grounds for ending relationships.
Relatedly, it shouldn't be lost on anyone that some of the same voters who are declaring their Trump-supporting family members are no longer welcome in their homes are these types of folks:
While people of course have the right to be this way, it can ultimately lead to a very lonely life down the road, something intolerance for opposing viewpoints (and not just political ones) typically does.
In any event, some final thoughts from Vice President-Elect JD Vance on the subject (something he talked about a week or so before the election):
"If you discard a lifelong friendship because somebody votes for the other team, you've made a terrible mistake... Don't cast aside family members and lifelong friendships. Politics is not worth it. If we follow that principle, we'll heal the divide in this country."
Endorsed.
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