About a friend who said "I don't vote".

"I don't vote because I don't believe in it".

That's what a very dear, yet not very educated on this matter, said to me.
I tried to reason with him and let him know that his NOT participation, gave us a guy like this orange bowel movement.

Still, "I don't believe in it".
I explained to him that, had people like him had voted, it would have contributed to create pressure against these "almost nazi style" ideas that govern the United States.
I told him that because of this apathy, product of a mere belief, we produced a guy that is harmful, dangerous and moronic (horrific combination of traits) that causes actual harm to real people in the real world.

And because I was making a pressing point, he decided to say "I already told you I don't believe in that, you are trying to dominate this conversation and you know I won't have a problem to end our friendship over this".

That is NOT trying to dominate the conversation. That is fact checking your belief that harms others. There's a clear distinction that you didn't want to see.

This reality happened in 2016 because people like him didn't go out and vote, simply because in spite of the fact that it DOES matter, he prefers to hold on to an unjustified belief rather than a fact.
Here's the thing, dear friend: If you were to say the same thing about vaccination, over a non educated belief (instead over a known and demonstrable fact), like some morons do out there, with the argument "I don't believe in vaccinating, so I don't vaccinate my kids", I would tell you that you are factually, putting the life of others in danger. LITERALLY.You are aware, that we are having a measles outbreak because of anti vaxxers, right?
You are aware that precisely because of anti vaxxers not believing in it, their sick kids gave measles to a lot of other non vaccinated kids, bringing back a disease that was controlled... BECAUSE OF VACCINATION?

The same happens with voting. You not "believing" in it, doesn't mean that it actually doesn't make a difference.
It does, at least, to those families being separated at the border, or the LGBTQ community, or women's rights, or the refugees from other countries (which apparently you don't give three fucks about).

Every time you stay home on Election Day, honoring an unjustified belief, you are DIRECTLY saying "everybody negatively impacted with the policies of a country in which I have direct participation, can go fuck themselves. I'm comfy and apparently, this bus is full".

And you do it over a BELIEF, NOT A FACT. This is simply immoral. And ignorant.
The United States had really become "the Mother of Stupid". People think that because you choose to have a belief, you immediately OWN a fact. (More of this in another post).
Hey, I can choose to believe you are a pedophile and a rapist. Are you saying that now, because I "choose to believe" it, you ARE a pedophile or a rapist?
Nope. You hold a belief. Like the Loch Ness Monster, Big Foot, Muhammed, Jesus, the "quantum woo woo" from Deepak Chopra, homeopathy, alchemy and/or astrology.
And YES! You have every right to hold, or "choose" a belief (and I will fight for your rights to hold and chose them), but you do not own nor choose your own facts.
You might believe that you can fly. But I dread the day you try and hold that belief as a fact, on a cliff, while filming it.
(Note from author: I hereby assure that I am NOT encouraging you to do this, but if you hold this belief to be true, don't forget to put a phone on a tripod at the edge of the cliff, and one at the bottom. The camera you will hold in your hands, probably won't make it in one piece if your belief doesn't turn into a fact).

I would never end a friendship because a friend is showing me a fault in my epistemology. I would actually treasure it even more, because I see your commitment in supporting me becoming a more empathic and caring human.
I want to be called on, when I say or do an immoral or questionable premise. For such is the road to improvement and transformation.

So, if me trying to get you to make a moral sense on things that are in your control (like electing the people making laws), is a reason for you to end our friendship, which you say you have NO PROBLEM on ending, go ahead.
You do not meet the moral requirements to be a friend of mine, plus, according to you, our friendship, apparently, is shallow, since I can't talk about deep issues with you, and worthless, since you have NO PROBLEMS on ending it when we go beyond mindless chit chat.
#vote