This election is contentious, no doubt about it.
Perhaps more so than what most of us have ever seen.
We have two candidates with a lot of baggage. We have strong emotions on both sides. And while both have their die-hard supporters, we have a number of Americans who aren't happy with either Republican Donald Trump or Democrat Hillary Clinton.
All that's well and good. Emotion can spur voter turnout. And if more folks head to the polls this year that's a good thing. Voter turnout in this nation is usually dismal, even for important national elections. Maybe this year will be different.
But emotion is a double-edged sword. And the other side isn't pretty.
We see it most vividly on social media such as Facebook, which seems to be the way more and more people communicate these days.
Accusations. Allegations. Arguments.
But especially anger. Lots of anger.
Anger not only at the candidates and the parties, but at each other.
While many of us can discuss, even argue politics with some degree of calm and good humor, far too many can't. They take any disagreement with their choice of candidate or stand on the issues very, very personally.
Lifelong friendships have been damaged by comments made, memes shared, questionable charges asserted or heated responses.
In some cases even family members are no longer speaking to each other.
That's just wrong. Americans have the right to choose whom to support for president or any other office. They have the right to take any position on the issues.
And they should not be berated for their choices. They should not have to answer to anyone, no matter where their sympathies lie.
Thousands of brave service members died to give us the right to make those choices.
Nothing wrong with disagreement. But no one should let the political scene dominate their lives to such an extent that they bully others or break off relationships. That's just foolish.
As Election Day nears, it's important to remember that democracy demands respect and tolerance for opposition. If we expect others to respect our views, we must respect their right to decide their own views. If we ever lose that freedom, then we lose something much more important than the results of any one election.