OP_RETURN isn't an issue for Bitcoin. You're right about that. It's an issue for me, and anyone else who's using resources to run a node. And when software developers design software that does things I don't want it to do, they'll be treated like the other software developers that write software that does things I don't want it to do.

You're right that it doesn't have to be some big thing. But I'll definitely be glad to see more and more people finally switching over to the software that puts the control in their hands, rather than treating them as a mere user of their own hardware.

Seems like Core's got a lot of contributors though who came up in the age of the cell phone, so perhaps they don't know any better than to treat the owner of the hardware as a simple user who needs someone to protect them from themselves. Some of use find that attitude repugnant and downright disrespectful, and we'll vote with our root access.