Keep the trolls on Facebook

EVERY election year, I witness an unfriending frenzy unfold on my Facebook feed. In 2016, it was mostly my American friends who were on a purging rampage - "If you're dumb enough to vote for Trump, you're really not worth my time" - the year before, it was my fellow countrymen.

The patterns are similar: Friend A posts about a deeply divisive topic - say, immigration, abortion, or transgender issues. Friend B takes umbrage at Friend A's point-of-view and removes her from his friends list. Friend B then posts about the purge, declaring that anyone with such toxic views shall have no place in his life. Friends C, D, and E affirm the status update with a "like", and chime in with their own comments about how small-minded, gullible, or stupid people can be.

All this because of a difference in opinion.