Scenes from a Gym: Keep Your Opinions to Yourself, Please!

Mel C. enters the gym elevator, post-workout, wearing her 427th Strength Through Support shirt from her dad's 2008 deployment AND her headphones. Gym douchebag enters right behind her.

GDB: That's some shirt. Is that for someone in your family?
M: (Thinks: Oh good. Talking to strangers before 9:00 AM. My favorite.) Yes. My dad spent a year there.
GDB: Oh wow. That's amazing.
M: Thanks.
GDB: You know, Iraq is the largest producer of oil. Bush and Cheney blah blah blah.
M: (Thinks who said anything about Iraq?) blank stare
GDB: Afghanistan blah blah blah opium blah blah blah
M: (Thinks is this guy for real?) blank stare
GDB: I hate to burst the American bubble, but its all about business.
M: (Thinks he has got to be kidding me) Well, my dad and his unit were training security forces and building orphanages...
GDB: That's the thing. Blah blah blah the businesses and blah blah blah the corporations and blah blah blah.
M: Uh. Yeah. See ya.

Look, clearly, I have some strong and probably biased feelings on the subject. And I get that others might not feel the same. That's fine. So, let's just not discuss it. That's all. We can co-exist and just not talk about it. I generally don't discuss politics with friends or family. But I especially don't want to discuss politics with you if you are a stranger. At the gym. In the elevator. At 8:30 AM. I don't rant at you and you don't rant at me and everyone wins. Inappropriate!