When old friends choose MAGA over morality it's time to say goodbye.

[Nevilledog]

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Melody speaks gif fluently
@UnpaintedMelody
“…there’s no other side of this story 4 future history teachers to balance. All they can do is try to explain how so many Americans became enthralled&bewitched by self-centeredness&racism. You seem to think UncleSam is a sacred being,&Trump is his prophet”

When old friends choose MAGA over morality it’s time to say goodbye.
Ironically, it was Facebook ( of all places ) that shined the light of truth.
link.medium.com
3:50 PM · Oct 23, 2021

https://writings-with-james-stephens.medium.com/maga-good-bye-old-friends-9d2d1eadc6d6

I’m not sorry.

I’m not sorry that our Facebook posts about the pandemic ended our friendship.

I grieve, but I’m not sorry.

Your posts are the evidence I didn’t want but needed.

You aren’t the person I thought you were.

It turns out much of what I thought we had in common was only superficially true. The ties that bind weren’t holding anything together. It appeared that way because nothing ever tested us — until recently.

Trump and Covid have laid bare the truth.

I see a blessing in that.

*snip*

[Mary in S. Carolina]

1. Great Thread

[Irish_Dem]

2. It's hard to remain friends with people who won't do their fair share during a national emergency.

And deliberately put others at risk.

[dalton99a]

3. Selfish people don't make good friends or partners

Especially selfish AND stupid people who want to commit suicide

[Evolve Dammit]

4. Orange man and covid have "laid bare the truth." And the 74 million can go fuck themselves.

If that's who you are, stay the fuck away from me and I will do likewise. I will also defend and vote for anyone who wants to take a stand on the events of 1/6 and leading up to it. And suppressing info and promoting mis-info that led to approaching 1 million Americans to lose their lives. There needs to be accountability and we know where the justice needs to fall.

[monkeyman1]

10. don't think it's that many now ? a lot of antiva's are no longer with us !

[Evolve Dammit]

24. 74 million that actually voted for him is a big number. Add in the ones that never vote and would

latch onto a fascist movement is pretty fucking dangerous. we've only (only) lost 675,000 to put it in perspective.

[czarjak]

5. "Don't Tread On Me" isn't a one-way street.

[PatrickforB]

36. I love that! Indeed, it is not.

[GoodRaisin]

6. I totally identify with this feeling.

Not so much facebook, which I would never tolerate a Maga poster anyway. But with real life friends that showed me their ugly side, it was an instant elephant in the room for me.

[childfreebychoice]

7. Gave up 50 yr friendship

B cus friend kept spewing right-wing lies about hrc, then voted third party. He is black, and gay...no friends in the rethug party. As if that weren't bad enuf, after he saw how bad t* was, he became expat.

[Poiuyt]

19. Welcome to DU!

[electric_blue68]

39. Wow, that's some story. 50 yrs : ( But what did he say...

about the Globfather after he went ex-pat? Did he finally dennounce him?

[A HERETIC I AM]

8. I haven't spoken with one of my oldest friends in 5 years

After he angrily told me that “We are Trump Voters!”

I thought I knew him better than that, but I was wrong.

I still communicate with his wife, but he and I haven’t spoken since before the ‘16 election

[John Ludi]

9. I dumped a fair amount of people

over Trump...and another chunk over Covid.

It's probably a good thing that a lot of my sentimentality has faded as I've gotten older...I'd be a lot sadder over it than I am.

[monkeyman1]

11. there's a lot of maga't shit in the trash dump's now day's ! that's a good sign !

[Ziggysmom]

12. Great advice. Oprah Winfrey said, "Surround yourself with only people

who are going to lift you higher". Magats will only pull you down to their level.
It's very difficult to step away from relationships where you have known some of these friends or colleagues for a long time. But it’s essential not to feel obligated to idiots, racists and liars. Surround yourself with good people and you'll be happier & healthier

[OMGWTF]

42. YES!! For the last several years my New Year's resolution is to keep away from idiots/a-holes.

It's life-changing and I recommend it highly.

[secondwind]

13. Yes, indeed... it's just way too hard to look these folks in the eye and consider them a friend.....

am certain they talk about us stupid Democrats behind our back.. who needs that crap...

[Notek]

14. Sadly

in my case, this also applies to some family members.

[Wounded Bear]

17. I think my daughter is an anti-vaxxer...

and I fear for my grandsons.

[Hekate]

23. Mine is, & is the mother of my only grandkids. It's tough to come to terms with that...

I was always politically active, always believed in public health measures, but finally had to make it clear to her that I will not discuss any of what is so important to me with her. How did I get this across? A screaming phone conversation, in which I kept repeating, “I will not discuss science with you,” at ever increasing decibel levels.

I want peace, and I want some access to the kids, who live an hour and a half away. So I am doing what I can.

For the longest time I was too ashamed to admit to anyone that my own daughter is an anti-vaxxer, but one thing the COVID pandemic has made clear is just how many families are being riven by culture wars that have turned against facts in general and science in particular.

We are not alone — I wish you all the best.

[Hortensis]

15. We've been through just what was described with so many

people of our former social circles. She says it so well.

In the beginning, before the depravity became so profound, we regretted some lost friends who were important to us, hoping that someday divisions would dissolve enough that we could come together enough to share memories, Christmas cards. We no longer do. Whatever we and they once thought they were, they were not those people and never will be.

As for others we had a lot of fun with, that was possible because relationships were shallow, what we thought we had in common "only superficially true."

Looking back, I realize they knew before we did. We didn't know what they were hiding as it developed until it broke out in open antagonism, and over time in abandonment of every ideal we thought they had. Now, in a reverse, we know more about them than they are aware of themselves.

Good ridddance to them with regret only for relationships that should have been but never were. Our circles are smaller now after the painful housecleanings so many have experienced, but it had to be and we're all glad to have each other.

[mountain grammy]

16. When my husband asked his brother how he could support the lies

his brother hung up on him. They haven't spoken since. I've talked to my sister in law a few times. She's really not very bright, but God "has everything" and she's all in for trump. We don't talk about it. When your family aligns with Nazis, they're not your family anymore.

[Paladin]

18. The MAGAts need to know there's a price to be paid for their idiocy.

End any friendships you have with these ugly people, immediately. It's what they deserve.

[StarryNite]

20. People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime.

People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime.

When you figure out which one it is,
you will know what to do for each person.

When someone is in your life for a REASON,
it is usually to meet a need you have expressed.
They have come to assist you through a difficulty;
to provide you with guidance and support;
to aid you physically, emotionally or spiritually.
They may seem like a godsend, and they are.
They are there for the reason you need them to be.

Then, without any wrongdoing on your part or at an inconvenient time,
this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end.
Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away.
Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand.
What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled; their work is done.
The prayer you sent up has been answered and now it is time to move on.

Some people come into your life for a SEASON,
because your turn has come to share, grow or learn.
They bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh.
They may teach you something you have never done.
They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy.
Believe it. It is real. But only for a season.

LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons;
things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation.
Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person,
and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life.
It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.

— Unknown

[hamsterjill]

38. Love this!

Thanks for sharing. It’s so true!

[Poiuyt]

21. I lost my best friend to Trump

I always knew he was conservative, but we respected each other and stayed away from certain subjects. That ended with Covid. I was feeling quite bad about ending our friendship, but I felt better once I realized that people who deny covid, won't wear a mask, or won't get vaccinated were behaving in a manner that I just can't accept. Their selfishness is inexcusable. I was having trouble rationalizing things at first, but I understand my feelings better now and know that I made the right decision.

[Initech]

22. If there's one good thing about Facebook...

Is that it's shown us just how many truly awful people walk among us. Trump is the president of, by, and for Facebook trolls.

[AllyCat]

29. I dumped 90% of my friend list and quit going to

FB for about a year when the pandemic hit. I use it now for talking to some family members, a few friends I’ve made as an adult, and some high school friends that have moved away. I stay out of political discussions.

[Dial H For Hero]

25. I have too few close friends to lose any of them to politics. Life's too short.

[11 Bravo]

26. I've had (only a couple, fortunately) golf buddies who went MAGA.

I've been playing with most of these guys for over 40 years, and taking their money along the way. So when I proposed that whoever brings up politics on the course automatically gives the other players the option of doubling the bet, it was a win-win.
They usually keep it zipped, but when they can't help themselves, it costs them.
More often than not, we now head to the clubhouse afterward, enjoy a few beers, and talk sports.

[traitorsgalore]

27. The "blessing in that" is that we stay alive

and to some like me, as bad as it sounds, the other blessing in that is the covidiot traitors die.

[Skittles]

28. you don't need FB to find out a "friend" is a Trump humping POS

just TALKING to them will do it

wouldn't be hard to find out their thoughts on the pandemic, either

[The Wizard]

30. I have disconnected with all of them

because they're immoral and stupid. Stupid people will get you into trouble. Avoid contact with them.

[elias7]

31. MAGA - back when vaccines were mandated in the schools and the workplace

[OldBaldy1701E]

35. It is always tough to realize that you were duped.

But, these days the term 'friend' is used to easily that it is not difficult to find oneself latched onto a person that used the word, but has no idea what it really means. Add to that the general practice of invoking the word in the name of business, and one can see why we use it all the time, but seldom understand what it is supposed to represent. Having had to learn the hard way about a few former 'friends', I can relate very well to this post. But, even though I did shed a tear, I quickly dried it up because my life is way better now that I know they were not a friend, just an acquaintance that I had things in common with. It is a hard lesson, but one that will serve you well later on.

[brewens]

37. Nothing a FG follower thinks or says will ever mean anything to me again. I will not do business

with any COVIDiots if I can avoid it. Would you trust the food at a restaurant owned and or operated by someone that refused to take common sense precautions during a deadly pandemic? Do they think hepatitis is a hoax too? Not risking it.

[Dukkha]

40. It's not my job to educate and enlighten the indoctrinated

Because it's a totally impossible task and waste of time

“One of the saddest lessons of history is this: If we’ve been bamboozled long enough, we tend to reject any evidence of the bamboozle. We’re no longer interested in finding out the truth. The bamboozle has captured us. It’s simply too painful to acknowledge, even to ourselves, that we’ve been taken. Once you give a charlatan power over you, you almost never get it back.”
― Carl Sagan

[OMGWTF]

41. My MAGAt BFF friend of 36 years ended our friendship over Trump's Big Lies and, like you,

I appreciate her showing me what her real values are and saving me the trouble of divorcing her myself. I have many good friends who aren't in a fascistic death cult.