To think telling people to “unfriend” you on social media because of the way you’re voting is immature?

[Retpark101]

This is kind of another election one, but I don’t want to thread to be hijacked into discussing politics, in fact I actually just want people to respect that everyone has their own minds and opinions, they have a right to vote for whoever they want to.

There’s so many political posts on Facebook right now but I’ve seen a couple of people on my friends list post things like “if you’re voting Conservative/Labour/etc tomorrow, please unfriend me” or “delete my number and don’t speak to me again”
AIBU to think this is bloody childish and if you’re a mature adult you accept that people are all different and have the right to their own thoughts? I hate how this election is making people gate each other.

Unless somebody has extreme views then is it really worth breaking friendships for the sake of someone voting the opposite of you?

I admit I unfollowed/muted someone during the independence referendum after months of them posting crap about freedom every day. The final straw was her saying that people who voted no were scumbags. She shared a “if you don’t vote for independence you deserve to be gassed like the Jews” meme and that was enough for me to say no.

I really hate social media on Election Day. It’s filled as per usual with the “If you vote Tory you are an asshole and are happy to see children suffer” Im not a Tory. But I’m sick to the back teeth of people shoving their political opinions down others throats and resorting to insults when you dare question them.

Well at least people are intrested in politics, but the times when people like employers etc wanted to Know WHO you voted for are long gone.

Me?, Lib Dem, a tactical vote here;!

Why?, cos I'm shite scared of what JC will do in power and tho Boris isnt the best, he's probally the least worse!

can't stand the extremist moralising on facebook or twitter, I wish people wouldn't discuss politics with people they know. I'm a centrist voter and I've voted for all 3 major parties and contemplated the greens (before they came out with a plan that relied solely on borrowing), before Corbyn mostly for labour.

My family recently fell out over politics. My DU and DB are nurses and labour supporters the rest are tories. I’m just ignoring them all, it’s so childish it’s unreal.

Facebook isn’t known for encouraging mature behaviour.

@Justaboy wow really was that a thing? Could they use it against you?

@FlashesOfRage
100% of your friends ‘annoyingly deluded and self-righteous’ but they’re the problem? 😏

I think labour voters are particularly more vocal at the moment due to how long they have been in opposition.

It's ironic, because it's the aggressive, bullying and authoritarian behaviour of a lot of their activists that is keeping them in opposition. It makes me shudder to think what some of these people would be like if they got anywhere near power.

It doesn’t make either side a bad person because they agree with certain aspects of a manifesto unless it’s extreme like I previously said

So it's ok for people to unfriend people as long as it's due to reasons that you agree with. Everyone must adhere to your definition of acceptable/extreme/abhorrent or whatever?

yes I've found the snooze function helpful of late for some of my friends door stopping for labour - good for them that they believe so much in HIM but I don't want to hear about it 3x a day

One thing that baffles me is people who put flags outside of their houses saying "VOTE xyz". You think I'm gonna pass a random house and just robotically obey your stupid flag? I am voting for whom I think is best for this country, you can cover your house from top to toe in flags, I am not going to change my mind because a bit of cloth on a stick orders me to. Its ridiculous.

Im not a Tory. But I’m sick to the back teeth of people shoving their political opinions down others throats and resorting to insults when you dare question them.

This sums up how I feel perfectly.

I try to keep political discussions with friends to a minimum as a form of escapism, but I must say I'm disappointed by the number of friends who seem to believe that anti-Semitism a) doesn't exist, b) isn't as bad as Islamophobia/homophobia, or c) that Jews such as myself should "get over the war", despite the fact that anti-Semitism wasn't exclusive to WW2 and isn't something I've raised in discussion

@goodluckdontdie
I mean if someone was posting racist things or supported terrorism etc i think we can all agree that would be a definite unfriend

I think it’s a weird one because you end up with people on social media that you’re not that close to, neighbours, workmates, what have you... so you’re bound to have people on there with political differences...if you’ve not realised though before now, what difference does it make?

Close friends - mine all have similar values to me, so I’d be pretty surprised if the ones where politics hasn’t ever come up with voted completely differently to me, even if it was for a different party. I’m not really sure how you could close friends on the far right if you’re far left for example.

“Labour is VERY far left now.”

They’re not, they have moved back into the left from the centre... but they’re nowhere near far left.

I have quietly unfriended some people who have expressed strong Conservative views. There were a few who said the picture of that little boy on the floor in the hospital were fake and said horrible things about his parents, so I deleted them. It makes me feel differently about them as people, that they do not see that we need to help schools, the NHS, homeless people etc.

Pre Facebook I ended my friendship with my best friend after a particularly nasty rant about people on benefits, single parents and disabled people in particular.

I'm not going to fall out with someone over their vote but my closest friends are people who share (most of) my values and are passionate about things. To some extent how you vote on issues reflects how you interpret the facts available (I don't think brexit tells you much about someone's values). But from my perspective, working with vulnerable people, working with GPs and having family members using a care system that isn't working, I really struggle with people who don't want to change that.

And no, I won't stop being political tomorrow. I'm not virtue signalling and I'm not going to moan. I'll keep making active changes I my life and volunteering to make things better.

I think it's really useful to see friends/acquaintances povs.

It helps me avoid them if they're completely batshit or if their views are very very different to mine

I haven't unfriended on social media as yet but I do unfollow when their RW bollox gets too much

In social media groups I do block the very dangerous sounding people - racists, homophobes, misogynists.

My husband is voting the opposite to me. We hold widely differing views on politics and Brexit. I haven't defriended him yet!

During the 2014 Independence Referendum , a couple of people I knew quite well kept saying on FB that anyone planning to vote No should unfriend them . So I did . Both contacted me weeks later to ask if I was ok ??!!

Not really. I have nothing In common with anyone who doesn't give a shit about others. Very happy to unfriend anyone who votes tory

My husband's mate is like this. They actually fell out a couple of years ago because my husband voted LibDems instead of Labour. LibDems are hardly extreme!

Last time I checked, we were a democracy. Unless someone chooses to vote far right (and I mean the likes of EDL/old BNP/NF etc, not just UKOP/Brexit Party) they're free to vote for who they want.

I think it's all very, very petty.

It makes me feel differently about them as people, that they do not see that we need to help schools, the NHS, homeless people etc.

Many Tory supporters actually want to help schools, NHS, the homeless - they don't think a Labour-run economy is the best way of doing it. I didn't vote Tory but I object to these stereotypes. In fact, people who advocate this our side is good/your side is bad way of looking at things are people I am much more tempted to unfriend than people who vote for a party I dislike.

In microcosm on this thread: 'Waah, it''s only the Loony Left who are so rude to other people and so childish' side by side with posters who have been startled by people they thought they knew banging the Brexit drum and coming out with 'send them all back home' immigrant-bashing.
Individual acts of arseholery are definitely occuring on all sides.

I have nothing In common with anyone who doesn't give a shit about others. Very happy to unfriend anyone who votes tory

There you go - it's attitudes like that that piss me off.

If you vote Tory you don't give a shit about others eh? How fucking one dimensional could you be?