Gun Lake Casino Removing Straws But Will It Matter?

Gun Lake Casino in Wayland will no longer have plastic straws.  Are we all missing the point here?

A video uploaded 3 years ago by Christine Figgener, marine biologist at Texas A&M University is what sparked the sudden wave of plastic straw banning across the nation.  Caution: this video is hard to watch and contains fowl language.

What you're about to read next will NOT be a popular opinion.  Especially after watching that video.

The banning or removing of plastic straws is a nice gesture.  But it may end up being just that, a gesture.  We have a huge problem with plastic waste in our Oceans and other bodies of water.  Straws are a tiny spec of the problem.  They are now the scapegoat because of the video above.  Why am I telling you this?

#1.  Many disabled people rely on straws for consuming beverages and food.

#2.  Focusing on one small thing like straws lulls Americans into a feeling of "Mission Accomplished."  Meanwhile, little to no impact has been made on the real problem and the real issue with plastic waste goes ignored.

The viral video above has 33 Million views at the time I'm writing this.  It is a very important video that shows one example of wildlife unable to live healthy lives in their natural habitat due to an abundance of plastics polluting our water ways.

While I applaud companies like Gun Lake Casino for taking a stand by their removal of straws which begins November 1st, 2018 according to WWMT.  Let's not lose track of the big picture.

The Oceanic Society has compiled a list of 7 things you can do to reduce Ocean plastic pollution.  If you're interested in making an impact you can click here to get the full list.

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