The political race has been heating up for some time now, making it more important than ever to make sure we don’t let our political opinions get in the way of our friendships.

The United States, more than any other country, has an extremely divisive political culture. With the election of President Trump, that divisiveness has only intensified. Both political affiliates are guilty of treating each other with contempt and prejudice.

There is so much more to a person’s life than the people they choose to vote for. If you make all your decisions and friendships based upon your political beliefs, you’re going to miss out on some really interesting people.

Liking Trump or the Republican party doesn’t immediately make you a racist, hick who’s out to get you, and liking Bernie Sanders or the Democratic party doesn’t make you an anti-American communist. Regardless of the upcoming election results, don’t use it as an excuse to treat anyone anything less than kind.

The Wichitan is filled with people of every type of political affiliation, and that doesn’t stop us from having great professional and personal relationships. So don’t let politics get in the way of your friendships either. Just like Midwestern State University, we also believe diversity in a community is an important, contributing factor to growth for everyone.