I’ve been struggling with this for a while. Because I believe in democracy. I believe that there has to be debate to make this country work, and I believe that we can hold opposing views on issues and still be functioning friends, coworkers, and family.

That being said, if you plan on voting for Donald Trump in November, just go ahead and unfriend me now. Lose my number. Delete my contact info.

If you plan on voting for a third-party candidate, do the same.

Donald Trump is a liar, a cheat, a bigot, a philanderer, a business failure, a coward, and a narcissist. These are facts. This is not a statement of opinion.

Donald Trump hates women. He hates African Americans. He hates Hispanics. He hates Muslims. He hates veterans. He hates the poor. He hates the middle class. He hates anyone who disagrees with him. He hates anyone who points out his lies.

Donald Trump literally wraps himself in images of piety, when every word he speaks and action he takes is in direct opposition to the teachings of Christ. Remember the Seven Deadly Sins? Pride, Greed, Envy, Gluttony, Sloth, Lust, Wrath. Not only does he demonstrate every one of those traits, they are all part of his personal brand.

You have problems with Hillary Clinton. Of course you do. I have had my share of problems with her in the past, which is why I supported Obama in ’08. But that is not the issue here.

(And, as an aside, I hate that I even have to put in that paragraph of qualification. She is unquestionably qualified by any measure applied to any previous candidate. But because she has been the target of three decades of ceaseless, almost entirely unfounded attacks that were undeniably rooted in sexism, we all have to make these justifications.)

The issue is: do we actually believe in America or not? Is this a country where we allow for the free expression of thought and religion. Is this a nation that accepts all races as equal? Is this a society where women are not considered to be second-class citizens? If you believe in that vision of our country, then you have to do everything in your power to keep Donald Trump out of power.

Which brings me to third-party candidates. I’m not going to debate the merits of the two running (because both would first have to exhibit that they actually possess merits to begin with). But please consider the idea that the act of voting is not symbolic. It is a real civic duty with the most drastic of consequences. A handful of Nader voters going for Gore could’ve stopped so much pointless devastation. 2% of “Leave” voters who thought “Oh, it’ll never happen” could’ve actually kept it from happening. It’s easy to tell yourself “one vote doesn’t matter,” but honestly nothing matters more.

Donald Trump lies. That’s all he does. That’s all he’s ever done. Lie and hate. Lie and hate. Lie and hate.

I won’t be a part of a country that legitimizes that. And I won’t stand beside anyone who condones it, either through action or inaction. I believe America deserves better.

Update 4:38 PM — Trump just “joked” — again — encouraging someone to shoot Hillary Clinton. Fuck that guy.