Gun nuts jacked on espresso = danger for customers
by digby
So Howard Schultz, the CEO of Starbucks, is disturbed that his company is being used as a stage for gun nuts to make their point. So he's asking them to stop:
Recently, however, we’ve seen the “open carry” debate become increasingly uncivil and, in some cases, even threatening. Pro-gun activists have used our stores as a political stage for media events misleadingly called “Starbucks Appreciation Days” that disingenuously portray Starbucks as a champion of “open carry.” To be clear: we do not want these events in our stores. Some anti-gun activists have also played a role in ratcheting up the rhetoric and friction, including soliciting and confronting our customers and partners.
For these reasons, today we are respectfully requesting that customers no longer bring firearms into our stores or outdoor seating areas—even in states where “open carry” is permitted—unless they are authorized law enforcement personnel.
I would like to clarify two points. First, this is a request and not an outright ban. Why? Because we want to give responsible gun owners the chance to respect our request—and also because enforcing a ban would potentially require our partners to confront armed customers, and that is not a role I am comfortable asking Starbucks partners to take on. Second, we know we cannot satisfy everyone. For those who oppose “open carry,” we believe the legislative and policy-making process is the proper arena for this debate, not our stores. For those who champion “open carry,” please respect that Starbucks stores are places where everyone should feel relaxed and comfortable. The presence of a weapon in our stores is unsettling and upsetting for many of our customers.
He's missing the point, don't you think? The reason these people want to carry guns in public places like Starbucks is to shut up anyone who might think it's ok to have a political opinion with which they disagree --- and that includes the customers and the employees who don't want them to be in Starbucks carrying guns. I'm certainly not going to argue with people who are so committed they feel the need to ostentatiously wear a gun in public. It signals quite clearly that they are zealots on the subject and it's not safe to argue with armed zealots. And that's exactly what they mean to convey whether they admit it or not.
When I see people carrying guns, I leave the vicinity and that includes Starbucks. With all the accidental shootings in this country, it's not safe to be around these yahoos when they are carrying in any case. And those who are wearing their guns to make a political point are clearly trying to intimidate people. Who knows what they'll do? Starbucks is right to be alarmed.
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