When I think people can’t surprise me anymore, they get unreasonably upset about a coffee cup.

Starbucks released its election week cup last Tuesday. It features over 100 people all drawn together in a single line. According to the press release, it’s supposed to represent the theme “unity,” and it is in response to the upcoming election.

Because we live in America, the country where the customer is always right and companies are expected to remain unbiased, the release of this “opinionated” cup created an uproar in the Starbucks-drinking community.

All week people have been speculating what exactly this cup might mean. Some believe it’s Starbucks’ unofficial vote for Hillary, while others believe it’s just the company’s way of saying “can’t we all just get along?”

Starbucks has chosen to make a statement and an open-ended one at that. People overreacted, and they need to get over it. There is absolutely nothing wrong with a company choosing to express an opinion. In fact, it’s a very good thing.

Openly opinionated companies are beneficial to the consumer and the employee. When a business expresses its beliefs, it can determine whether or not you decide to shop there. When it came out that Hobby Lobby does not cover “Plan B” birth control through their employee’s health insurance because of their fundamentally Christian views against it, I chose not to shop there anymore. I don’t feel comfortable giving my money to a company whose views are so strongly against mine.

That being said, there are people out there who agree with Hobby Lobby’s stance. Because of the company’s choice to voice that opinion, these people can choose to give their money to a company whose views they agree with.

It also gives people a chance to look for a job with a company that stands for things they believe in, or one that can give them the support they need. Starbucks was once one of the only major companies that offered hormone therapy for transgender people in their insurance. People who may be needing such treatment knew they could work in a place that would not only support them through their transition financially but emotionally as well.

That’s also not to say corporate opinions can’t change. When Chick-fil-a openly expressed their disapproval of gay marriage, I chose not to eat there anymore. However, this past summer when there was a shooting at a gay club in Orlando, Chick-fil-a actively assisted in the healing process by staying open on Sunday (when traditionally they remain closed) and preparing food for the first responders and people donating blood for the victims. After hearing about this I chose to start dining there again, as I felt it was a company that was more aligned with my views again.

At the end of the day, companies are just large groups of people. People have opinions; that’s never going to change. Instead of asking them to oppress these opinions, we should have them embrace their views wholeheartedly. Not only will it lead to a happier shopping experience for everyone, but it will keep the public from reacting so strongly to such mundane things. At the end of the day, if you really don’t like the cup, don’t drink from it.