Starbucks should not be a very controversial place. You should be able to step in, enjoy your slightly overpriced coffee, and then go about your day. However, recently people have been outraged because of the perceived lack of spirit on Starbucks’ holiday cups. They say that the simple, two tone red design of the cups isn’t festive enough for the Christmas season, and claim that Starbucks is insulting their values.
A notable dissenter to the new cups is the self-proclaimed “internet and social media personality” Joshua Feuerstein, who posted a Facebook video entitled “Starbucks REMOVED CHRISTMAS from their cups because they hate Jesus.” In this video, Feuerstein, whose Facebook page has 1,872,562 likes, says “Do you realize that Starbucks wanted to take Christ and Christmas off of their brand new cups? That’s why they’re just plain red.” The video was posted on November 5, and currently has 16,528,070 views. He encouraged viewers to start the hashtag #MerryChristmasStarbucks, which has garnered support on social media.
Feuerstein has taken controversial and seemingly insane stances on many issues before-- after the marriage equality ruling this past summer, he created a video addressing the fact that businesses such as bakeries were fined for discriminating against LGBT individuals. “They are coming after our First Amendment constitutional rights. Well, check this out. This is one pastor that will not bow. Why? Because my First Amendment right is guaranteed by my Second Amendment right,” he said in the July 9 video which has since been deleted while brandishing an assault rifle, according to the Huffington Post.
It is no surprise that crazies such as Feuerstein opposed the cups-- there will always be people in the world who get mad about stupid things and start unprogressive Internet rampages. The bigger issue is the fact that politicians are giving attention to this ridiculous issue. Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump suggested boycotting Starbucks. "I have one of the most successful Starbucks in Trump Tower. Maybe we should boycott Starbucks? I don't know. Seriously, I don't care. By the way, that's the end of that lease but who cares. If I become president, we're all going to be saying Merry Christmas again, that I can tell you. That I can tell you. Unbelievable.” he said at a November 9th campaign rally in Illinois according to USA Today.
Though this red-cup-controversy does seem laughable at first, it underscores many of the larger issues that exist in society. The first is that separation of church is one of the most important values of our nation, as dictated by our very own Constitution. Starbucks, a secular business, should not be forced to conform to anyone’s beliefs during the holiday season.
The more pressing problem, however, is that this, the status of red cups, is the issue that personalities and even politicians choose to focus on. Every day, more Syrian refugees are without homes or prospects. Every day, roughly 20,000 people worldwide die from cancer. Every day, more people are diagnosed with HIV or denied their rights based on the color of their skin.
Trump, who has an enormous following, could have spent his time in the spotlight discussing any of the real and pressing problems facing America and the world. Instead, he talked about coffee cups. A man with such skewed priorities should not even be considered for the leader of this nation.
So for now, I will enjoy my supposedly anti-Christmas Starbucks coffee (as if coffee can be anti-anything) and look forward to not voting for Donald Trump in the 2016 elections.