Yesterday, Trump brings back plastic straws - "I'm sure the sharks munching their way through the ocean will just munch them."

[100A]

'Bring back the plastic straws' was another declaration he signed yesterday with a flourish of his Sharpie pen, flanked by the usual obsequious officials and a bigly map of the Gulf of Mexico America (which is is now 'fact' according to his spokeswoman).

You see, the sharks are just there, happily munching along in the ocean, so they'll just bite through the plastic straws because they have very sharp teeth, after all.

People are getting so used to the freak show, this kind of thing doesn't even raise an eyebrow anymore. AIBU to wonder how America is going to ever regain any credibility? We have 4 more years of this!

I hate paper straws with a passion, but what I hate even more is that what does more damage to our ocean and sea life is fishing. The nets capture everything, sea life gets tangled up and millions of creatures are killed as byproducts every year. What would stop all this is if everyone stopped eating fish. They won’t though. Use your shitty paper straws all you want, it’s doing nothing for the sea and you’re just getting bits of paper in your mouth. If you truly want to save the seas, stop eating anything that comes from it.
You are doing nothing for the planet by drinking your cocktail from a paper straw whilst eating your lobster / tuna steak / cod

Why do the vast majority of people need a straw anyway? We don’t use them at home. And for the small number that do there are plenty of reusable options.

Me as someone who has a seafood allergy

Metal straws have caused damage to the inside of people's mouths. And one women died from one, impaling her brain through her eye.

You can order plastic straws online if you’re that desperate for them. Doesn’t mean the majority can’t make a small change that helps the environment.

I’m not keen on plastic straws but I also think you have a point.

The impact of this kind of change, even if the intention of the change is positive, is generally harder on groups who have less power, fewer options for workarounds, etc.

You can also order decent paper straws which work and don't go soggy which is what I do for my son. So lots of options @mumofonemumofoneAlonebutokay

Yep, we have metal straws at home. The kids love them.

I haven't used a straw since childhood. Can't you drink without one?

Get a reusable one. But several and just use those. Honestly ours have been going for years and years.

Children can be taught to drink from a cup pre school age.
Simple.

My friends often serve paper plates at thanksgiving and Christmas but not day to day

Also what makes these so ridiculous is that often your drink will come encased in plastic but you still have to use a paper straw. What’s the fucking point

Metal straws have caused damage to the inside of people's mouths. And one women died from one, impaling her brain through her eye.

The implement may have been the straw but I believe the cause was her alcoholism.

Not just alcoholics but kids too. One kid fell and it went right through his tongue and punctured an artery in his neck.

https://www.today.com/today/amp/rcna45635

Agree, its silly

Excellent point.

My husband used to live in a house with three college (university) guys around 20-22. They were really crap about washing dishes and occasionally found week-old dirty drinking glasses in their bedrooms, but even they ate off normal dishes and not paper plates.

I have never had any issues with paper straws. I'm not in the UK, maybe ours are more substantial, but it seems really odd to me - does it take you several hours to have a drink?

If you have such a problem maybe try drinking straight from the cup, it's really quite simple. I can't believe people can get so wound up by something so trivial as straws.

You could probably find an instance of someone being injured/killed by every single thing on the planet. How did people become so scared to do anything because "something bad might happen"?

Chairs!!! Kill more people than sharks.

If you sit and drink rather than walk then straws will not harm you. The chair might though!

I have seen US people doing that. Some families I know used paper plates for normal meals when they felt they cant be asked to wash up.

(I have a large family and a lot of friends in the US)

Well I'm sure forks, knives and spoons have also caused injuries but we still use them. You can say the same of baby household items.

Yes? I do it, as a mum of sen child I've generally always got a bag on me.

People are getting so used to the freak show, this kind of thing doesn't even raise an eyebrow anymore. AIBU to wonder how America is going to ever regain any credibility? We have 4 more years of this!

@100A YABU to imply that America hadn't already long since soiled their credibility. Clearly for far too many, this clownshow looked saner than what came before.