On Nov. 1, coffee giant Starbucks released their famous holiday cups. This year, they are simply just red cups without any design, unlike previous holiday cups.

The relatively plain cups have outraged many Starbucks' consumers. Some people see this as an attack on Christianity—even Donald Trump addressed the issue in a recent rally in Illinois.

“Maybe we should boycott Starbucks. I don’t know,” Trump said.

This past week a lot of important issues have been brought to our attention in the news—the Republican presidential candidates held their latest debate, students are debating the meaning of diversity and free speech, and yet the controversy of Starbucks and their red cups is one of the top news stories in our nation.

What does this say about American consumers, and when we will we start to focus on the real issues at hand?

Not everyone is offended by the lack of "Christmas-y" things on the holiday cups, however. One blogger, Avery Sovey, summed up her opinion quite well in a short video post.

"I don't understand why the red cup is so offensive," Sovey said. "I understand it doesn't have all the 'Christmas-y' things, but it never had Jesus 'Christmas-y' things. For us to be getting offended is a little ridiculous."

As college students, it is our responsibility to educate ourselves on the real issues at hand in our communities. Investigate what free speech means to you and to your college campus, and avoid focusing on petty issues that do not have substantial meaning.