Can you be friends with people who chose not to vote?
- Thread starter AnansiThePersona
- Start date
If myself or the people I cared about were being threatened by some genuinely fucking evil candidates, and my friends responded with a shrug, I would question what the fuck that friendship is worth.
Voting is mandatory in Australia. So i think it would be pretty difficult to find somebody who refused to vote.
Maybe they've become disillusioned with the electoral system in general and feel that neither party truly cares about the common well-being of the people?
If we're talking US politics, which party was talking about forcing muslims to carry special identification? Or were fine with rhetoric against Mexicans by calling them rapists and murderers? Which party repeatedly blocks any chance of gun legislation in the wake of countless mass shootings? Which is dead set on eliminating social welfare programs?
Your individual disillusionment is worthless when people are being threatened.
And how does not voting show that you support those initiatives? If one supported those they'd vote for them, by not voting for them it shows that they don't approve of those policies.
Easily, especially when they live in a state like mine (CT) which is a deep blue state. Same for people who live in deep red states. There are just some places in this country where even with 100% turn out the result wouldn't change.
I will not be friends with someone who consciously refuses to vote. Full stop. I'd have some forgiveness if they claim they just forgot or something I guess. But choosing to not vote? An absolute deal breaker.
How? It's showing that they don't support either policies, instead of being forced to choose between two that they don't agree with they choose to support neither.
Up until Trump I would have been friends with people who voted R. Its good to have someone you trust to challenge your ideas. Trump really changed that however.
But you know there is an old saying
"Friends, who want to stay friends, dont discuss religion or politics".
But you know there is an old saying
"Friends, who want to stay friends, dont discuss religion or politics".
Again, which party built a platform of outright white supremacy, threatening immigrants and minorities, an active attempt to further harm the poor by removing safety nets and protections for less privalaged, and callous dismissal of the need for gun reform?
So in the face of that, do you think not voting is going to help push back against those policies?
Not voting is not an abstaining of responsibility.
I don't care if you vote, don't vote, republican, democrat, indepedant or any of anyone's political views or lack thereof as long as they are a good person.
I don't know why anyone would care or wouldn't be a friend with someone because they didn't vote. Seems like an incredibly trivial thing to write someone off.
I don't know why anyone would care or wouldn't be a friend with someone because they didn't vote. Seems like an incredibly trivial thing to write someone off.
I try to keep political views out of my friendship. I know politics is a huge part of our lives, but it ruins friendships when peoples political views are so vastly different. I've seen friends hate each other, over their views. Keep that shit away from friendships unless you truly know their views are either valid or...you know...not insane and racist.
TLDR: Don't bring it up with friends.
EDIT: Also, I don't vote.
TLDR: Don't bring it up with friends.
EDIT: Also, I don't vote.
I don't see how voting would help push back against those policies, we live in one-day democracies where we vote in candidates and then are just at their mercy and have to hope that they're going to achieve what they promised (and many break their campaign promises). It's not people's job to vote, there are campaigners would work full-time to try to convince people to go out and vote, if even with that they're unsuccessful at mobilizing then we have to look into the bigger picture of why people are so averse to voting. In fact, college-educated people have a higher tendency to vote than people with less education, those who would be more affected by the policies, indicating that they feel that the system isn't designed for them and that their input does not have a meaningful effect. There is also the issue with who do vote for; there are only two viable parties, and so those who are alienated by both have essentially no real options.
So the rights of minority groups are threatened and your best response is "huh..."
Gotcha.
I'd be friendly to a person who doesn't vote, but they would probably stay a 'buddy' level for me.
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OK, so what is the alternative? Vote for who? Keep in mind, we're talking about people who didn't vote at all, not those that voted for Republicans/Trump, I have a feeling that you consider voting Democrat as the only correct option.
In US politics? Yes. It sure as fuck isnt ideal but the US is built on a 2-party system. Because by any moral standard, there is zero fucking value in the Republican Party.
So, why not go further then? Are you not going to be friends with anyone who voted anything other than Democrats?
People that do both sides are dumb yes. People who complain about a party being shitty but yet didn't vote are annoying yes. But do you talk politics that much that this decideds who you are friends with? Like just tell em to shut up and move on with ya life man.
Can I ask why?
As for the OP, no, if someone deliberately thinks "I am not going to vote, I don't believe in it" or whatever that is not an ideology I could really tolerate, I think it speaks to a lack of maturity or clarity of vision to the circumstances we are in. Same reasons I don't knowingly associate with any Republicans, I will not tolerate that ideology in my life, I don't have time for it. Plus I go out of my way to find a way to get everyone I know to the polls, I will legit pick you up and drive your ass there, I will get you an absentee ballot if you qualify. It's one thing if you just can't do it for whatever reason but to say "I will not vote", nah.
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Why would I be friends with anyone who would ever vote Republican? A party that actively wants to harm families like mine? Or people like my friends? Or is perfectly okay with throwing children in cages?
