Ah, Facebook, that creepy computerized yearbook that allows us all to keep in touch with that kid who sat three rows behind us in second grade and scratched himself in improper places all through math class.
A compilation of old friends, random family members, and strangers who claim they knew us at some point, somewhere, for some reason, an average Facebook friends list is usually a hodgepodge of people of all backgrounds, ages, and yes, even political affiliations. But never has this odd Facebook mix been as obvious as it has been over the past week, when the election brought out the excitement in some, and the all out nastiness in others. Status updates, the Facebook method of broadcasting one’s thoughts or mood out to the world, became filled with hateful rhetoric, putting some Facebook users in an incredibly awkward position: “Do I de-friend this person?” “Do I engage this person?” And perhaps the most puzzling question of all, “How did I become friends with this person in the first place?”
Facebook friending is awkward enough already: every so often, you get that random request from a person you went to school with many years ago, who suddenly wants to know what you’re up to. It is through these kinds of online reunions that you learn that Suzy Whatsadoodle, your best friend from 7th grade, now has 8 kids, and she married Kevin AwesomeMcCar, who has moved on from his days as a paste-eater to become the vice president of a fairly respected company. Suzy Whatsadoodle-AwesomeMcCar sends you online plants and online candy canes, shows you pictures of her adorable children, and is generally a non-threatening blast from the past who just seems like a sweet person who really means no harm.
And then, the second after Barack Obama is elected President of the United States, you see this:
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