The DeGeneres-Bush photo received unnecessary roughness

"People were upset," she said. "They thought, why is a gay Hollywood liberal sitting next to a conservative Republican president?"

But then, in a classy move, DeGeneres didn't try to deny the friendship. Instead, she made clear that she doesn't let others choose her friends for her.

Bravo. None of us should let mob rule dictate our relationships. That's our business, and no one else's.

Then DeGeneres doubled down. She explained that she isn't just friends with people who she agrees with politically, and she insisted that being kind means being kind to everyone and not just people who think like we do.

"We're all different, and I think we've forgotten that that's OK that we're all different," she said. "Just because I don't agree with someone on everything doesn't mean I'm not going to be friends with them."

Fortunately, the reaction to the joint appearance wasn't all negative. There was also got a smattering of positive reviews from people who said seeing the photo of DeGeneres and Bush together renewed their faith in humanity.

That should have been the final scene, except that a few Hollywood celebrities were determined to script a different ending.

Actor Mark Ruffalo tweeted: "Sorry, until George W. Bush is brought to justice for the crimes of the Iraq War, (including American-lead torture, Iraqi deaths & displacement, and the deep scars -- emotional & otherwise -- inflicted on our military that served his folly), we can't even begin to talk about kindness."

Some people need to stop talking. Every former president has detractors. But they shouldn't be shunned by polite society.

I would say the same thing to those immigration advocates who think Bill Clinton and Barack Obama decimated the immigrant community in this country by ramping up deportations.

We've had enough division, acrimony, insult, harassment and violence in this country over the last few decades to take us into the next century. A single photo, and what it says about the power of friendship, was a refreshing break from all that noise. For that, we should be grateful.

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Ruben Navarrette's email address is ruben@rubennavarrette.com.