I Don't Like You, and That's Okay

If I am acknowledging and protecting my family from people who could  be harmful,  why do I feel like such a hateful person?  I don’t hate people who voted for Trump,  I just would rather not associate with them.  They have values that are wholly different than mine. I know people can change,  but who am I to change them? I was raised to respect people,  but making the principled decision to not associate with them seems contrary  to that.  

It feels wrong because I have never made that distinction before.  Not that I previously let my kids associate  with bad or misguided people,  but I have never defined them as such.  That and the fact that people who would fall in that category did not spread across such a wide spectrum.  From people I vaguely know to family members. But when I feel that guilt, I need to remember, I don't have to be everyone's friend just because I respect them, or they fit into any other category established by society.

Just because I won’t associate with them does not mean I hate them.  It does not mean I wish them ill will.  Just like I let my kid play at someone’s house because I don’t agree with their parenting style,  I won’t knowingly associate with someone who either hates certain people or condones that hate.  

Whenever I feel like I am not loving my neighbor just because of their beliefs, I think of how the people I have talked to and the people I see online and in the news never seem to show the same consideration or compassion. Do they feel guilt for comparing our former president to a monkey? Do they feel like hypocrites when they realize that less than a year ago, they were still complaining about Obama's birth certificate? Do they realize what kind of person Trump is? (not all Trump supporters have done or said the above things, but the ones who had done or said the above things were his supporters) I can't really answer yes to any of these.

I think that it is natural to not want to be around people who you don't like or with whom you share no common interests or ideologies.