Everybody has had a moment in which they have been taken by surprise (either pleasant or not) by a loved one’s political stances. 

Friends, family, even partners can suddenly present you with unexpected political views, ones you may not feel particularly accepting of. 

In today’s heavily polarized political climate, we are not strangers to an increasing number of these situations. Influencers, celebrities, and whole companies are constantly praised or scrutinized due to the revelation of certain beliefs.

This recurring experience has led me to the following question: when, if ever, is it ethical to cut someone off because of their political beliefs?

First, one must examine the concepts surrounding political beliefs. 

Are they mere opinions, with no true manifestation of moral character, or are political stances a true reflection of an individual’s moral values. 

To be politically aligned with an idea means your vote supports that belief, your thoughts are put into action, and you choose to stand by them. This means that one’s political stances are as much power as one is given. As most common citizens are not actively running for office or seeking governmental positions, their stances are the only political power they hold, as this will guide their vote. An individual’s limited amount for political choice/vote then relies solely on what they believe. Furthering, one’s views guide their vote, and that vote is not meaningless, as it is meant to determine what is in best interest for the whole country. A political belief is not simply an opinion; it demonstrates who and what you believe in, and what you think others deserve.

For the past few years, stronger and more radical views have seemed to resurface. While some have gained more awareness of their political climate and educated themselves enough to align their stances with their moral values, others seem to have fallen into the traps of misinformation and prejudice. 

Over the past decade, we have been witness to how one misaligned view can spread throughout millions of minds like a pest. 

Many of those who claim to stand strongly for certain beliefs have no true foundation for what they believe, just the words out of someone’s mouth. 

Even worse, that mouth can be responsible for spewing misinformation. 

However, no single person can hold all of the responsibility for unfortunate political views, as access to information has become easier than ever and we all possess a mind of our own. It would be far too easy to simply put the blame on a single individual for ignorance disguised as a political belief, yet it seems that misinformation and discrimination has spread like wildfire throughout the whole country. 

So who’s responsible for attempting to educate those whose political views can interfere with others’ well beings?

Though it might not seem fair for the responsibility to always fall on the politically educated individual, part of it must. It is true that some views can truly interfere with our relationships, and some that stances might even be enough to bring relationships to a complete halt. 

But what about the milder, not borderline infringing on human rights stances; those that are in disagreement with the educated, but don’t directly interfere with anyone’s autonomy or health? 

These are the ones we must think about twice before letting them drive us to cut off a loved one. 

Although it might not be fair, those who are truly educated on such topics must seek to educate, rather than ostracize, if our goal is to always seek the greater good. 

Therefore, the Good of man must be the end of the science of Politics. -Aristotle