The 2024 presidential election, deciding the 47th president of the United States, is on Tuesday, November 5th. As the ballots open, Americans will vote for either Harris or Trump depending on the most important issues, whether that be immigration, abortion, the economy, foreign policy, democracy, gun rights, or something else. Right now, America is very polarized and divided. The Pew Research Center has shown how most people have few or no friends with differing political viewpoints. This raises an important question that I want you to ponder: “Can you be friends with someone with different political viewpoints?” This question is complex, and the answer varies from person to person. Some believe politics should not be involved with personal relationships, while others believe political beliefs are intertwined with personal values and morals.
Politics has been shown to impact both relationships with family and friends. Many argue that an individual’s political stance represents character and moral integrity. NPR tells a story about Jensen, a sexual assault survivor, who said “she couldn’t stand it when the guy she’d been close to for 40 years was being cavalier about the allegations against President Trump’s then-Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. (Kavanaugh vehemently denied the sexual assault allegations.)” Jensen’s experience made it difficult for her to maintain this friendship, as she believed her friend’s favored candidate went against her values.
Another example NPR writes about is how Jon Lanford, a Georgia truck driver and Trump supporter, had an experience with his gay brother, who he felt “assumed the worst about him.” He stated that “[his brother] went off on [him] saying essentially [I am] a racist and a homophobe just because I’m a Trump supporter. No ifs, ands or buts. And [my brother] completely cut me out of his life.” The brother of Jon Lanford felt that his brother was homophobic and racist, due to being a Trump supporter, and this caused a strain in their relationship. These two examples highlight political differences, and how they can lead to relationship division.
Many Americans also believe that political beliefs should be kept separate from personal relationships. They believe it is possible to befriend someone with different political beliefs if both parties are peaceful and respectful. The saying “agree to disagree” summarizes that people can have differing political viewpoints without affecting the actual relationship since you can disagree with others politically and still have a peaceful relationship. To add to this, supporting a candidate does not necessarily indicate that you support every belief that they support. For example, a person may support a candidate because they agree with their economic and immigration policies, despite disagreeing with their abortion or gun control policies. People may choose the candidate that supports their main priorities and is the “better choice,” even if they disagree with some of the candidate’s actions or says. Many individuals have this outlook on their relationships with their family and friends, allowing them to connect with those with differing beliefs.
After questioning 52 Wheatley students and staff on their opinions, the majority said “yes,” to the question, “Can you be friends with someone with different political views regarding this election.” Many students and staff at Wheatley do not feel that personal political beliefs should interfere with friendships. A good portion of the individuals polled believe you can have a relationship with individuals with differing opinions and have meaningful conversations about politics and other topics. The overall answers to this question were 35 people saying “yes,” 11 people saying that it “depends,” and 8 people saying “no.” I still do not know the answer to this question. I understand both sides; on one hand, political beliefs reflect core morals, but on the flip side, I also don’t think that politics should stop good relationships from forming, especially because supporting a candidate does not mean you agree with everything they believe. In my opinion, this question is very complex and challenging to answer.
Ultimately, after reading this article, I want you to reflect on this question in your own life. Please consider how you feel on this topic when forming friendships and bonds. Does your preferred candidate reflect your core morals? Do you separate who you are from who you would vote for? Why are politics important to you? Were your political beliefs influenced by who you surround yourself with, whether family or friends? Ask yourself these questions, because they are important to understanding your beliefs and where they come from. I hope you enjoyed reading this article, and have thought more about your opinions and how they affect the relationships in your life!
