To question my friendship of a girl who wishes to vote bnp ...

[KeepOnKeepingOnAndOnAndOnAndOn]

I just cannot get passed it. I have mixed race brothers and sisters. Shes plastering fb with her bnp posters ... Sigh.

AIBU to not want to be friends with her? We are not close, more acquaintances - but I feel I really want to distance myself as I feel almost a traitor remaining friends with someone who would vote in a racist, bigoted far right party ...

Sarinka makes a good point though. It is important for a healthy society to give equal political platform to all. That includes extremes, both objectionable and strange.

If those with extreme views are not given a political platfirm they find ways to be disruptive. Yes thwy are objectionable, but it is the job of the main parties to provide their own viable policies for the majority to vote for. If you take away the political rights of the likes of the extremes then it is no longer a democracy and then society is in real trouble. The main parties then have no reason to be persuasive and come up with reasonable views. If you want to help, the best way is to look at all the little alternative parties which are a bit like the BNP and give them the same attention and discussion, compare and contrast, split attention and focus on the one party (and split the vote.)

The strange parties are vitally important too as there are always some who use their vote to show their lack of support of the main parties, the system, the process. Without the strange party those votes could go to an extreme party.

Going a bit off topic, but I was listening to Jeremy Paxman & he was saying that he thought it would be a good idea to have a box at the bottom of the voting form where you could register a protest vote without voting for any party. That way, you don´t go down in the, "can't be bothered to vote," figures, but you can register a protest that you don't want any of the political parties. I thought that was a good idea. It might help to rid us of the loony far right brigade.

I do not vote BNP. But I would be interested to know why those that do, do. I think many vote BNP because they agree with 1 or 2 of their general views but if they were shown all of the parties manifesto they would realise they don't agree with the majority of it. This would be one way of rationally changing their minds.

yegod very well said. The problem we have to ok trust into the general public to not vote for these loons. It is not just the responsibility of other parties to ensure this. Sadly, people seem uneducated in politics and vote for said loons as they agree with a couple of their stances (but haven't read full manifesto) - as a pp said.

However, a democracy is a democracy and i agree we need one to sustain a healthy society.

*the problem is we have to trust

Hmmm. One of my oldest friends is currently plastering my FB with the same, British bully bulldogs and ukip shit. I just 'hide' them.

The thing is, I reckon our friendship transcends politics, intellectualism, reason sometimes So i can ignore the less attractive attributes he has and focus on our history together, the amazing times and secrets we've shared etc.

The fact that your friend knows you have mixed race family and still feels ok about posting this nonsense means she reckons you're ok with that. You're not, so you need to tell her.

Uri i suggest you ask him about that other party that's just sprung up. The one started by the guy who left UKIP. Compare and contrast. Why not vote for the other one, what's the difference etc. And compare with more moderate policies of other parties, but not enough to get blocked. You have an audience! ;)