A friend of mine from Lansford was lamenting the fact that she and her uncle barely talk to each other anymore after several clashes over opposing political views that turned into shouting matches.

She labels him as an “election denier,” saying that he “totally is all in” on the notion that the 2020 Presidential election was “stolen” from former President Donald Trump. She also is annoyed at a number of “crazy, off the wall” conspiratorial theories he believes in and which she dismisses as “pure insanity.”

Before the Trump era, she said, they could discuss some of their political differences rationally and calmly but no more. Aside from politics, she said, “we had a great relationship.” Now, however, she said, their political differences have overshadowed their entire relationship to the point where they don’t even want to be in each other’s company.

Isn’t this sad? Has it comes to this? Have our political differences transcended the importance of family and friendships? Apparently it has in some cases.

The results of a Siena College-New York Times poll last month showed that 19% of registered voters said that recent disagreements with family or friends over political issues have hurt their relationships.

I can relate to this firsthand. One of my closest boyhood friends when we were growing up in Summit Hill and I reconnected about a decade ago. We would go to lunch periodically, chat by phone frequently and stay in touch almost daily through text and email messages.

Then came the 2016 Presidential election, which was won by Trump. Our conversations began to devolve into shouting matches in public places as he tried to persuade me to accept some clearly false and unverifiable information to “prove” that Trump was the greatest thing to come down the pike since sliced bread. When I did not buy into his theses, he became enraged.

After several of these unpleasant encounters, I suggested to him that we eliminate politics from our discussion menu when we speak to each other or get together. He agreed, but our relationship has never been the same. When I texted him in early August about having lunch, he said he would check his schedule and get back to me. It’s nearly three months later, and I have not heard or seen a word from him.

The recent poll reports that Democrats and Independents were more likely to indicate deteriorated relationships at 21% and 20%, respectively, compared to 14% of Republicans.

The poll also concluded that political disagreements hurt relationships for women and white registered voters with a college degree more than with other groups.

After all of this is said, though, the poll found that a solid majority across all demographics said their relationships had not been affected.

With the midterm election just less than a week away and with the violent political rhetoric ramping up in a divisive climate, battleground candidates regularly paint their opponents as “extremists.” This is certainly true in Pennsylvania’s two key races - governor and U.S. Senate.

Democrat gubernatorial nominee Josh Shapiro brands Republican Doug Mastriano as a “dangerous extremist,” while Mastriano calls Shapiro a “socialist” who is intent on wrecking the American way of life. In the Senate race, Democrat John Fetterman and Republican Dr. Mehmet Oz have traded accusations about who is the more dangerous if elected.

Threats against lawmakers and their families and against voting officials have intensified as the election draws closer. Just a week ago, a man is accused of breaking into the home of House leader Nancy Pelosi and her husband, Paul. Mr. Pelosi was seriously injured in the attack by the suspect who has written extremist views on social media. In Washington, Capitol Police have begun investigating thousands of threats against legislators’ safety and security. Security has been beefed up at the homes of U.S. Supreme Court justices after their Roe v. Wade decision earlier this year.

The poll also revealed that 48% of the registered voters surveyed indicated that a person’s political views reflect on whether he or she is a “good person.”

Some of my friends said that they dread the holiday period because of the possibility that the family atmosphere could be shattered by differing political views at the dinner table. I loved Psychology Today’s recommendation if this happens at your Thanksgiving or Christmas gathering: “Request a matriarch or patriarch to enforce a moratorium on politics at family events; the enforcer should immediately shut down raised voices, profanity and personal insults.”

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could have a civil conversation with someone who does not share our political beliefs, yet each of us listens attentively and respectfully to the other’s point of view. If we did that, we might learn something.

By Bruce Frassinelli | tneditor@tnonline.com