Ben Miller
Numerous seemingly innocuous topics have become political due to extremists on both sides of the political aisle. And it’s become rather ridiculous. After an online forum was polled for examples of things that have become unnecessarily politicized, here are their honest opinions.
1. Shoes on Candy
Do you remember when M&M’s replaced the green M&M knee-high boots with flats and then exchanged the brown M&M stilettos for lower heels? It took on a life of its own, polarizing the masses and we were all debating candy with drawn-on boots. Ridiculous.
2. School Lunches for Children
Why on earth is the idea of feeding kids in school so politicized and controversial? Isn’t it the moral thing to do, to feed the less fortunate. It’s ridiculous that feeding or not feeding children is even a debate.
3. Sex Education
Sex ed has quickly become polarized as a political issue. Rather than the health and educational responsibility that it is, somehow it has become an issue of rights. Not wanting teens to partake in adult activities too young is one thing but they should be prepared instead of stupid and curious.
4. Someones Sexual Orientation
As someone was corrected, orientation is not a preference. One person suggests, “Being offended that someone said “sexual preference” instead of the more ‘sexual orientation’ is a perfect example of something dumb being politicized.” Others disagree, proving the point through their bickering how stupid it is being politicized.
5. Beer Brands
Beer was brought up several times due to the Bud Light nonsense. One bartender gave more insight, “I manage a bar. The number of people who call us a ‘woke liberal bar’ specifically because we don’t carry Budweiser is amazing.”
They go on to say, “I’ve had folks ask if we have ‘American’ beer while standing in front of a cooler filled with ‘Gansett and Sam Adams. Likewise, I’ve had friends act like the Coors in my cooler is the same as a confederate flag on my porch.”
6. Footwear: Timberland Boots
A New Yorker says that one night, a girl called a guy a Republican just because he was wearing Timberland boots, saying “As if not every dude from New York owns a pair.” Several people were confused by that association, especially considering “Timbs are typically associated with NYC and/or black culture (two VERY non-Republican things).”
7. Vaccines
Shockingly, medicine has become politicized. Of course it’s not wrong to analyze the science involved, if you need to then pray about it, and take a beat before racing out to get a vaccine developed quicker than usual.
However, to politicize it because you’re not a fan of Dr. Fauci or because you fell for the microchip conspiracy theory, what do you think that cell phone is? The people ignoring science and refusing vaccines have brought back long thought extinct diseases like measles. You don’t have to be a scientist to see how dumb that is.
8. The Subject of Science
Speaking of science, why on earth is it politicized? It’s unbelievable how many Facebook “researchers” think they know better than people who have years of education and degrees to show for it. When did facts become alternative?
It’s ridiculous and goes to show the population’s lack of common sense. If you were a professional in your field and someone tries to claim they know better because they saw some TikTok, how would you respond?
9. Owning a Gun
Firearms are one of the top issues mentioned in the discussion. One person notes, “Guns. Owning a gun is a right people from either side of the political aisle have. And most of the reasons for owning one transcend politics.”
Veterans on both sides agree this is accurate. Not all gun owners are conservatives. Many liberals own them as well.
10. Wearing Nike
Nike has been politicized forever now and it didn’t get any better with their recent trans-woman influencer spokesperson. One person writes, “My brother chastised me for buying Nike products. ‘Oh, you support the woke, anti-American agenda?’ No, I support that they make shirts that fit me nicely.”
11. Book Banning
Currently, people are arguing about banning books in schools, because some people want to control what students read based on their own political beliefs. Others say banning books stops students from learning different perspectives.
The big debate is about freedom and what side of the aisle you fall on. One person saying, “Books, for sure,” one claims. “Some people think you’re pretentious for reading at all. More people believe, depending on what you’re reading, you’re a fascist nazi or a woke liberal.”
12. The Rat Rod
This one is a random one we hadn’t heard about before but the Rat-Rod has become a controversial topic. A forum member reveals, “I saw someone get called a fascist for seemingly no reason other than driving a rat rod at a stoplight a few days ago – so.”
13. Critical Race Theory in Schools
Several people agree with one person who says, “Critical race theory. I’m black, and I still don’t know what the heck it means or why it is a political debate. Exhausting.” We agree, but we do understand how its become a polarizing subject. The argument is that it is, “making all white men the evil bad guys responsible for everything,” which sounds absurd.
14. Skin Color
A lot of Black and Latinx people on the thread are sick of having their skin color politicized. One Black user asks, “What’s the deal with the word Latinx? Every time I hear it, I cringe! It’s as silly as calling my Black American self ‘African American’ when we have no ties to Africa in the slightest.” Multiple Latinx people say they think the word Latinx is stupid.
15. Interactions With Complete Strangers
It is beyond obnoxious to be going about your day minding your own business only to be verbally accosted by a stranger. One clarifies, “I don’t really need to discuss whatever the outraged talking point du jour is just to pick up a few groceries or walk to my car. Just because I’ve not buried my head in my cell phone doesn’t mean I agree with whatever political statement you’re making yourself a billboard about standing next to me. It just means I want to see where I’m going.”
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