How to pronounce “lightning rod” in English

He invented the lightning rod, the bifocal lens.

It struck kind of a lightning rod.

policies including in universities that he became the lightning rod for a highly

But I tend to be kind of the lightning rod for inbound interest.

success was so extraordinary that he kind of became a lightning rod for the debate on alcohol in Russia at the time

And I find that when there's a gun-related tragedy in the news, I become like a punching bag slash lightning rod slash defendant on trial for all gun people

Some of what you're describing in the upper level it sounds vaguely like a policy that's a lightning rod.