Politics is here to divide us. And as our dependency on the state grows, so does our absolute trust in it, making partisanship a live-or-die game. It is in this environment that people lose track of decency, putting their personal political preferences before common sense.
Recently on CNN, the channel’s “squad,” namely April Ryan, Bakari Sellers, Angela Rye, and Andrew Gillum, ended up humiliating one of their own because his choice didn’t happen to match the group’s consensus.
They were discussing plastic straws.
While talking about the otherwise uncontroversial subject, the group brought up the news that President Donald Trump’s reelection campaign was selling plastic straws. Seeing this as an affront to the left’s growing movement against the hollow tubes of plastic, Ryan and Rye teamed up to give the viewer the “correct” take on the subject, saying that paper straws were the best as they are biodegradable.
Sellers then said he didn’t like paper straws, prompting some of his colleagues to lose their minds.
As Gillum tried to light up the conversation, saying that the straw discussion was such a “first-world” problem type of thing, Rye got back at the former Florida gubernatorial candidate, asking if he was calling her an elitist. Then, she turned her claws against Sellers.
“I think you’re in alignment with the President. Go for it. I can’t wait.” She was clearly trying to shame him.
Sellers then responded saying that yes, he was, indeed, in alignment with the president. After all, he said, he doesn’t like paper straws!
That’s when Rye said, “everybody get Bakari” on Twitter, actually encouraging people to shame him online for, gasp, liking plastic straws.
Obviously, the tactic worked as Sellers promptly said he was going to try to move on from plastic in order to embrace the movement.
Gillum eventually joked about the whole debate once again, prompting both Rye and Ryan to threaten him.
“If you run again, you better be careful on this!” Ryan said, while Rye gave Gillum a deathly look, “you should have brought a red tie. That was a big moment to bring a red tie.”
Then, Rye did the unthinkable: she called Sellers a “Republican.” For liking plastic things.
If anything, this entire charade isn’t about the climate, nor is it about making the world a better place.
As explained by the climate-conscious themselves, plastic products are actually better for the environment than say, paper alternatives. Furthermore, it is a well-known fact that banning plastic straws across the country wouldn’t help the anti-plastic pollution crusade. So why are CNN hosts wasting the viewers’ time by fighting over plastic straws? Because of Trump, of course.
“This straw is the precise color of the President’s skin!” Ryan gleefully exclaimed after the debate was over, making it clear that if you like plastic straws, you’re in the wrong team.
As you can see, the division is complete. And what happens when you can no longer survive while near people who don’t agree with you and, as a matter of fact, threaten you for having the wrong opinions? You break up.
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