Also published at Huffington Post.
Dear _____________,
We wouldn’t be friends if we didn’t see the best in each other.
It’s because of that that I need you to help me understand what you just did.
I know you’re not a bigot. If we disagree on some social policy question, it’s never because we disagree about equality, only about the best way to achieve it.
But you just voted for a bigot. Please don’t tell me he isn’t one. Ask any black, brown, or Muslim friends or colleagues you have how they feel about Trump’s five years of promoting the racist birther lie, founding his campaign on the false claim that Mexican immigrants are a threat (you do know they have a lower crime rate than native-born Americans, right?), pledging to ban all Muslims (lower-than-average crime rate there, too), or aligning with white nationalism?
If they learn you voted for Trump, they may never look at you quite the same way again. Can you tell them that you did?
If so, how?