"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times."

I have a feeling people will be saying this after November 4th (more than likely the latter). This election has been incredibly cutthroat, and the parties are more different than they have been in a long time, if not ever. The image below is on the Pew Research Center's website:

America has some tough cookies who stick to their guns (pun intended) when it comes to political and social issues. More power to you if you want to share with the world how much you hate Hillary Clinton or how much you hate Donald Trump, but honestly that's not me. The majority of my friends probably don't even know where I stand politically because I don't discuss it. Here's why:

If there is one thing I hate, it is petty arguments on social media. I have noticed that in this election especially, conversations are not civil. Users are constantly attacking each other for their political views and end up insulting them in ways that have nothing to do with the original post. I will admit that I have fallen victim to this a few times. It takes all of my might not to comment on a status that I disagree with, but it isn't worth the outcome. Both parties end up fired up.

The second reason why I don't post about politics is because it ruins relationships. I won't go into detail, but I have lost friends and family due to political differences that they couldn't see past, and they cut me off. Obviously, politics is a large part of the United States, and having a democracy is a key part of our freedom, but I don't feel free at all knowing I might lose my friends for my beliefs.

The last reason I don't post about politics is because nothing that somebody says to me will change the way I vote, and nothing I say to them will change the way they vote. It ends in a stalemate. Once again, I am not criticizing those that do share their views openly, but I am just telling you that 0% of the political posts I have seen have changed my mind. I will not be bullied into voting for the president my Facebook friends think I should vote for.