In today’s world, wearing a Make America Great Again hat seems to come with the same level of safety consciousness as walking a tightrope while juggling flaming torches. You’ve got folks on both sides of the political aisle who believe their opinions are not just valid but, dare I say, sacrosanct. But when that sacred ground starts pushing people to show up at restaurants and confront an old soul just trying to enjoy his meal—well, we may have a little problem on our hands.

Just imagine sitting down for what should be a peaceful meal, and suddenly, there’s a person yelling at you because of the hat you chose to wear. It’s as if they just discovered that pineapple does, in fact, belong on pizza and they simply can’t believe you’d be so audacious to wear such a controversial headpiece. There’s a real twist in today’s narrative: it’s okay to wear a shirt featuring images of a, shall we say, less-than-reputable character, but heavens forbid you wear something that stands for a core belief in your country.

It’s comical that in places where one might think there’d be a smidgen of tolerance, like a casual dining spot, you can instead find a winner who believes that wearing a MAGA hat is akin to waving a red flag in front of a bull. What exactly is the rationale here? Hurling insults at a senior citizen seems like overkill, a bit like bringing a bazooka to a paintball fight. Not only is it wholly unnecessary, but it also comes off as downright childish.

But let’s dig deeper into this madness. If you dare wear the hat of your choice in public, the unhinged behavior seems to be the expectation! I mean, anyone with half a brain knows that life is filled with risks—crossing the street, flying on a plane, or even saying “I’m just not a fan of kale.” But wearing a hat seems to have ascended to an Olympic-level degree of danger! Hats off (pun fully intended) to those brave souls willing to don a MAGA hat in public, but let’s keep our heads on our shoulders, shall we?

And while it’s easy to poke fun at the absurdity of it all, there’s a real message hidden under the laughter. It’s more serious than just feeling brave or foolish; it’s about understanding freedom of expression and the consequences that can come from it. The expectation should be that people should be able to wear what they want without a confounding cocktail of threats and concerns over safety. This isn’t a circus where the clowns act wild; it’s about people standing up (or sitting down in this case) for what they believe in.

So, what’s the conclusion here? Let’s all take a good, long look in the mirror. Whether you’re wearing a MAGA hat or a shirt sporting a questionable character, remember that respecting others’ rights to express themselves—no matter how dumb you think their choices may be—is where civility begins. And if that means swallowing your frustration, so be it. Just think of the hat-wearing folks as the unusual spice in the unseasoned soup of society: annoying, but necessary to keep things interesting.