SPOKANE, Wash. — The negative political rhetoric is ramping up as we get closer to Election Day, which is now under three weeks away.
The Pew Research Center says when it comes to U.S. Politics 8 in 10 people respond with a negative word or phrase.
It's why, when I drove past a pair of neighbors with different political views, he had to learn more about their story and find out if it's possible to be civil with someone with very different views.
Bright orange and yellow leaves are signs of a new season. This time of year, you'll also find the colors, red, white and blue. Banners... flags... and the iconic political yard sign. You can't avoid them, just like you can't avoid your neighbor.
Neighbor versus neighbor or so you would think.
I asked Spokane neighbors to meet at their property line for a conversation.
I said, "I think it's pretty unique that both of you have different political signs, but clearly you both really enjoy each other as neighbors and as friends."
Anita Sather who is voting for Kamala Harris said, "I love so many things about Sheryl. She's been really a blessing to me. You know you have rough times, and I know I can always go over to Sheryl's house."
Sheryl McGrath who is voting for Donald Trump responded, "I think one of the most beautiful things about her is her heart, her love of people, of dogs. It's her love of family. I think one of the things I love even more than that is that she and I look different, we vote different and we drink different wine."
When asked about the public’s reaction around their house, Sather said, "We have quite an amount of honking and four-letter words outside of our house, some for Sheryl, some for me."
They can laugh about the noise and choose another four-letter word -- love.
McGrath talked about the response when asked how she can handle living next to someone who thinks so differently. She said, "I hear a lot of, oh my gosh. Can you, can you even talk to her? How do you handle how do you handle that?”
Sather added, “And how can you be neighbors with a Trump supporter?”
They both have the same response to people asking those questions. Both Sather and McGrath said, “I love my neighbor."
Both women talked about the amount of hate and vitriol they face. Sather responded, “We are here to love, we are here to support, we are here to educate. You know, frankly, I don't have time for the haters. I really don't."
These neighbors are shifting the narrative, but it doesn't mean they don't have a little fun. They talked about how when one buys a sign the other has to go out and buy another as to not be outdone.
No matter how many different signs they put up. There's one flag they both proudly fly, the American flag. McGrath said, “We are better because of our differences, and I think that we are stronger, not only as communities and neighbors but as a country when we understand, we educate ourselves on the policies."
And even though they'll be checking different boxes on November 5th, for them nothing will change, no matter the outcome. Sather said, “We will always be friends. We will be friends hopefully, hopefully. We're blessed to live in this house as long as dying day. But that will not change our friendship. That will not change our friendship."
Their signs may show who they're voting for, but they also are a sign to others, we can all show love to our neighbors.