I don’t mind the banning of plastic straws. I’m for saving the planet for future generations. Walt Disney and Starbucks have already made the move. Seattle has become the first city to ban them with San Francisco, New York City, Malibu, Miami Beach, and San Luis Obispo making moves to do the same.
Reminiscent of the reaction to move to a more economical light bulb, conservatives are the ones who are wailing about plastic straws. I thought conservatives were the ones who called liberals snowflakes? If you’re a physically capable adult, then why do you need a straw? For Republicans wigging out over their inability to keep sucking, I recommend sippy cups.
The action against straws isn’t because banning them alone will save the oceans. However, it’s a starting point that will extend the conversation to other single-use plastics. Did you get that part? Single-use plastics. Straws aren’t usually recycled. You would still be able to purchase the plastic straws you keep and wash for your home use. So, stop freaking out about straws.
What you do need to spend more energy freaking out over are people being able to make guns at home.
The Obama administration stopped an individual from publishing 3D printable gun plans on the internet. He sued the government. The Trump administration settled the lawsuit and even paid the guy’s legal fees.
These plans allow people with 3D printers to make handguns and even AR-15s out of the type of plastic used to make Lego’s.
Proponents argue that 3D printers are expensive and most people won’t have them. That’s true, but it still allows someone to create guns for anyone without requiring a background check. Besides, there were a time VCRs costs over a thousand bucks and the price was around $100 if you wanted your own copy of Blade Runner. The first VHS tape to cost less than thirty bucks was Top Gun (just in case you needed to know that).
Others argue that the guns are unreliable, but how many people are you willing to have shot before the gun breaks? We’re shown that with the good-guy-with-a-gun argument, that number is 27. Technology also has a tendency to keep advancing.
The NRA made a statement that they’ve always backed a ban on guns that are undetectable, while their spokesgoon, Dana Loesch, mocked Democrats for wanting to keep the plans off the internet. This explains why it confused Donald Trump because he explicitly stated on Twitter that he was taking his marching orders from the organization.
Thankfully, a judge from Washington state (where they take plastic guns as seriously as plastic straws) has put a temporary restraining order halting the blueprints from being published.
Anyone who believes we should allow anyone to make plastic, undetectable guns at home (or in a terrorist cell, like ISIS or white supremacists), you truly do suck.
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CLAYTOONZ 
I actually mind it. I’m all for saving the planet, but for people with certain kinds of disabilities, plastic straws are a lifesaver. Paper straws disintegrate in hot drinks and metal straws are inflexible and contract heat like crazy. I’m all for reducing plastic straw usage, but before going ahead with bans we need feasible alternatives for people of all levels of ability.
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Hey B.B., if you actually bothered to read Clay’s post, you would know that the bans are on Single-Use DISPOSABLE Plastic Straws.
REUSABLE Plastic Straws are still allowed. There are EVEN many Dishwasher-Safe REUSABLE Plastic Spill-Proof Travel Cups (Double-Walled for Hot and/or Cold), with BUILT-IN REUSABLE Plastic Straws, available for purchase.
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Yes, that is an oversight on my part (re: reusable straws)! My apologies.
But still, the thing is that even with reusable plastic straws, it’s hard for people with certain kinds of disabilities to wash them (not everyone has a dishwasher or could afford one). Furthermore the burden is often placed on people with disabilities to bring these reusable straws with them to restaurants (which is sometimes expected); as such, if they forget to bring their straws, they’re trapped without a drink.
You can solve the second problem I mentioned by making sure restaurants have reusable plastic straws on them. But there isn’t an easy fix to the first problem because as I said, it’s difficult for some people to wash the reusable straws.
I am all for reducing usage, but we should not leave anyone behind in the process.
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