Friends are people that you should want to be around. People that make you feel happy and accepted.  You want friends that lift you up and don’t drag you down. 

However, it can be difficult to be lifted by your friends when all you do is argue about your political views. 

Having friends with different political views than you is fine. But it is nearly impossible to maintain a friendship when your friend has views that discriminate against you specifically. 

For example, one friend believes in global warming and the other friend doesn’t. This is something they can agree to disagree on. They can just avoid the topic and move on. 

But if a male friend tells his female friend he does not believe women and men should have equal rights, this is where having different views becomes difficult. The female friend might feel hurt because his views discriminate against her. 

Right now, it is especially hard to have people around you that think differently than you. The election, the Black Lives Matter movement and mask mandates are important topics right now that cannot just be overlooked.

Imagine telling your Black friend that the injustice that happened to Breonna Taylor and George Floyd did not bother you. Are they supposed to be okay with that? Are they supposed to believe that you would care about them if they were to become the next victims of police brutality?

Friends are supposed to care about each other, and your political views show whether or not you genuinely care. These are not small topics you can overlook within the relationship. These are people’s lives. 

According to the Mayo Clinic, friendships are good for your health, can reduce stress, and boost self-confidence and self-worth. If your life is being put in danger by your friend’s political views, it is doing the exact opposite of what friendships are supposed to do. 

Friendships should make you feel happy and loved. They should not make you feel excluded and helpless. 

It is sad to see friendships end. But if you are being discriminated against, they must go.