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Yesterday I got an email from a friend who lives in Indiana with his wife and family. It was a forwarded message that had originated from ColorOfChange.org.

We've been friends for a long time, and during those years, we never discussed our political leanings. He's black, and I'm white. I actually met him and his wife while doing historical research on the 55th Massachusetts, the second black regiment from that State during the Civil War. His grandfather was a Sergeant in the regiment. I live in NY State, and we met a few times in D.C. when I was there doing research. I've also met his aunt (101 years old), his children and some of his grandchildren. I haven't seen them in years, but we still send Christmas cards, occasionally talk on the phone, and he periodically sends me an email, usually jokes.

During the last election cycle, he started sending me messages about the Obamas, and some anti-Bush jokes. I guess he assumed that I was a Democrat. In a phone conversation last summer, he mentioned that he had been working on getting Obama elected. I never said anything in response, just kept silent. Up until the mailing yesterday, I never bothered to write anything back when he'd send me a pro-Obama message. I deleted the "Putting an End to Glenn Beck's Racist Antics and Apocalyptic Rhetoric" email message he forwarded to me into the trash, but it bothered me most of the evening and into this morning.

This morning, I finally composed a message to him and said that we'd been friends for a long time, and in that time, we never discussed our political leanings. I originally thought of writing that I was an evil Conservative, but decided against it. I didn't mention that I was a registered Republican (not that that means anything today), or a Conservative, and never mentioned Obama's name. I simply asked him not to be offended if I asked him to remove my email address from any emails he chose to forward to others that consisted of political messages. I then brought him up to date on what was going on with my two sons, and told him I hoped he and his wife were having a good summer. Short and sweet. If I never hear from him again, that will be okay, because then I will know that he chooses his friends based on their political beliefs.