Estranged Bedfellows

Dear Gina and Alisa:
A very dear friend and I have extremely different views on the upcoming election--candidates and issues. She knows I'm not always on her page politically, but we haven't really talked lately about the current climate.

Over the past several weeks, she has sent me emails "endorsing" her cause, asking if "I'm with her" and other like missives.

I have been deleting the emails, and not saying anything, but should I ask her kindly not to send me any more political emails? I believe she might be offended, so I've just kept quiet, which I think is the way to go. What do you think? ~ Trying to Stay Neutral in the South

It sounds like you don’t want to get into the fray. (And my guess is that she’s probably sending out those e-mails to lots of people.) You could just consider it junk mail and keep hitting the delete button. Or send a reply email with “Please unsubscribe” in the subject line. ~ Gina

I guess the real question is what’s more important to you: your beliefs or offending a friend who knows you so little that she includes you in a mass email (or perhaps she wants to change you without actually confronting you)? This is only a question that you can answer but I would offer that if it keeps coming up for you when you receive her emails, there is something that is not sitting well with you. That’s what you need to speak about. ~ Alisa