I get it, you don't like scrolling through your Facebook feed and seeing things that you politically cant stand, it just makes you angry. You begin to think differently about whomever posted the thing you disagree with. I have been seeing many Facebook statuses that angrily address all of their friends and family members, requesting that they just "unfriend" you if they are going to vote for X candidate (fill in the blank). There have also been memes of this same request floating around the internet. To all of those who think that they are justified in doing this, think again. I urge you to get over it. Get over being insulted by a difference in opinion and realize that disagreeing with people during election times is expected and it doesn't mean you have to lose friends over it.

Social media, although filled with advertisements everywhere you look, is still a place where REAL people can post or create REAL content that is not influenced by big business, media or the government. Just reading the polls, news articles, or watching news broadcasting will not truly give you a sense of WHY people believe what they believe. Who better to explain it to you than a friend or family member? They will have (or should have) a real reason behind their voting choice that you could take the time to try and understand even if you do not like it or agree with it. Believe it or not, you can understand another person's view without agreeing or supporting their decision--you do not have to banish them from your life altogether. What is the value of understanding the opposition's side of the argument? Respect.

Seeing someone else's perspective will help you respect them as a person despite your differences. When it comes to disagreements (especially in politics), a popular method of explaining why the opposition thinks differently than you is to discredit their intelligence and standard of ethics. I have heard both democrats and republicans do this, as if calling the opposition stupid somehow strengthens your side of the argument. Then people will watch candidates do mudslinging on a larger scale and talk about how unprofessional or annoying it is. Mutual respect between democrats and republicans is the only thing that will stop this very polar two party system from becoming continuously more polarized, and it starts with us. Understanding and respecting someone's opinion means that instead of blaming we can work together to find solutions.

Even if you have to agree to disagree with your friend/family member on facebook, being exposed to a diversity of opinions, arguments, and articles will help you to be more well-informed in whatever your ending viewpoint is. There is a phrase that directly applies here: opinions are like assholes, everyone has one--therefore you need more than a mere opinon to be credible in your voting decision. To be credible you need to be well-informed, which means understanding the opposition and what they are saying.

This exposure to a diversity of poitical viewpoints may seem shallow or riduclous sometimes instead of your dear friend or family member having done actual homework. If you have a facebook friend that posts all-around politically ignorant things, realize that maybe you could be a helpful influence to them instead. If you are so willing to unfriend for political ignorance, why not help correct and educate them instead? People complain that voters are not as well-informed as they should be about how politics or the goveremnt work, but what are you doing to help the problem? Be a positive voice for others to hear, post things to facebook that encourage people to do their political homework!

Lastly, the 2016 election offers very polarized options. Most of the people I talk to say they do not want Trump or Hillary as president, but it is a matter of picking our poison. If this is truly how many feel, then how can we extend our judgment of a candidate onto their reluctant voter? Many simply chose a poison, many don't idealize or worship that candidate and certaintly do not agree with every single decision that candidate has made. They both have had questionable decisions from their pasts scrutinized throughout this campaign.

This election is too polarized to judge people off of, do not unfriend your friends or family over it. Respect their opinion, understand them, become more credible in your views, and ultimately be a positive force agaisnt politcal ignorance. Democrats and republicans act as if they are fighting a war against each other instead of working together to fight for a better country for all of us. It starts with us coming together in respect, not unfriending each other.