If You’re Still Challenging the 2020 Election, You’re Not My Friend

I’ve long respected and valued my many friends with diverse political views. I’ve kept in mind that we share similar ultimate aspirations, but have different ideas about how to achieve our shared goals.

Lately, that’s not how I’m feeling.

Seeing people challenge election results that have been validated by thousands of election officials of every political persuasion and through their elected state representatives, further validated by dozens of courts, including many judges appointed by President Trump, and having not a scintilla of evidence of fraud that could have impacted the outcome is a different story.

Those who continue to spread conspiracy theories that betray the most basic tenets of truth and legitimacy in forum after forum without concern for the consequences of their actions are not people who share the values I hold dear.

Those are people now actively seeking to undermine democracy itself and the tools we have (the best in the world despite the opportunities for improvement) to ensure free and fair elections.

Those are people who would knowingly deprive millions of our neighbors of their right to live in a nation that aspires towards person equals person, in which the majority vote decides the outcome of elections, where we come together as Americans with common purpose and destiny whether we win or lose.

Those who would destroy our nation’s most fundamental principles and purpose to achieve their goals through bullying or support for cowardly, self-serving bullies are not simply people I disagree with, but people who are deliberately trying to harm me, my home, my family, and the future of those I love.

Those are not actions I respect and value.

Those goals are not my goals.

Those people are trying to steal my freedom, my future.

They are not my friends.