My best friend of over 2 decades ...

[Ilsa]

is not someone I would likely befriend today.

She seems very paranoid about the future. And I'm picking up on subtle hints of racism, but it isn't really clear yet. She isn't well read (about current events), but is intelligent. Her degrees are in Science and Psychology. She complains alot about how other people treat her; that is, she can't seem to "get over it" when she's been wronged (minorly) by someone's mistake or insensitivity.

I'm not ready to abandon her friendship, but she makes it tough.

Oh yeah, she blew her top because when asked, Pres. Obama said that if he had a son, he'd look like Trayvon.

[bluedigger]

1. It sucks, doesn't it?

My best friend, who once lost his job to scabs on a strikeline, is now a gun nut that blames minorities for crime in a lily white state. But we have our history, and nothing can destroy that. We live far apart now, and talk about sports and cars.

I think having friends in the "other camp" is healthy, to some extant, though. It's too easy to demonize other viewpoints, otherwise.

[Ilsa]

2. I agree about about keeping friendships open.

You never know when they might change their minds. I guess the downside is that if your friends are more "conservative", they are less likely to be flexible or openminded in their thinking, whereas a liberal would be more likely to try to see the other side's point of view.