As we all, even political junkies like myself, have probably discovered in one way or another is that this has been one seriously divisive and hostile election season. Most of us say we want to have friends with differing opinions from ours and welcome that diversity without it getting in the way of our friendship. You hope you can post political stories and posts on your social media pages that are often times just for your own entertainment, but may encourage civil discussion. You certainly don't expect a debate that will fracture your connection to that person entirely. In a couple of instances, I can personally vouch for the fact that it can.

Election season is finally mercifully coming to an end in a couple of short months. That will mean only a short reprieve before we start hearing about the 2018 midterm elections and then of course, the always early jump into the next presidential race. So it may be a good time to point out how to be respectful of people with other political viewpoints without damaging relationships. An article I found on Facebook attempts to do just that. Here are a few of the great guidelines they suggest:

 

Post reliable informationThis one's kind of hard because everyone finds different sources to be honest and reliable. Some people like Fox News, while others prefer CNN but both are supposed to be reputable news and information sources. But, sometimes it's pretty obvious when you're posting from an oddball site. In fact, a few of you may end up finding the site I'm posting these ideas from to be a bit questionable, but we can probably all agree the principles are all logical.

Be tolerant of other viewpoints.  It's key for me to point out that there can be tolerance without agreement, and all parties should hopefully understand that. I sometimes find that some who talk the most about tolerance, are among the least tolerant. But that's another subject.

Don't hurt each other's feelings--on purpose. This is also easy to misjudge unless you know the person extremely well, but personal and direct insults toward someone in the midst of posting political information is usually a bad idea. It's unfortunate if someone takes something personally that you posted for your own benefit and the benefit of others of your same views. You may not have intended to hurt anyone's feelings, but that's an unfortunate side effect of social media.

Treat others how you want to be treated.  I am a fan of both healthy debate and sarcastic banter, but keeping it friendly and civil is still important. Again, you probably won't intentionally insult or offend people you respect and like anyway.

Read the rest of the list here, and tell us your thoughts.  Enjoy, or at least tolerate, the rest of election season. And most importantly, come November, be sure to exercise your right to vote. Or don't, if that's how you feel about it.

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