starbucks and guns

[hdroadglide]

their coffee may be high priced, but i think i will support them more now.



NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- The debate over gun control is heating up at Starbucks.

Gun owners bearing arms have been gathering at various Starbucks locations in states where it's legal to do so in public. That's sparked protests from gun-control advocates and kudos from pro-gun groups.


The coffee chain says that its stores simply abide by state laws, and it is legal to carry weapons in 43 states. But businesses have the right to prohibit customers from carrying guns in their establishments despite state laws, and that's the crux of this particular dust-up.

"While we deeply respect the views of all of our customers, Starbucks' long-standing approach to this issue remains unchanged," the company said in a statement. "We comply with local laws and statutes in all the communities we serve."

Starbucks (SBUX, Fortune 500) said the gun-toting gatherings first began at its stores in Northern California after two other chains, San Francisco-based Peet's Coffee & Tea and California Pizza Kitchen, put policies in place to prevent gun owners from carrying firearms in their stores.

The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence then wrote a letter to Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz, urging Starbucks to enforce a similar policy. On its Web site, the Brady Campaign is soliciting supporters through an online petition that urges Starbucks to offer "espresso shots, not gunshots" and reverse its corporate policy.

On the other side of the debate, gun rights advocates are pleased with Starbucks' decision. Forum members of OpenCarry.org, a pro-gun Internet community with nearly 28,000 members, are posting that they are "impressed" with Starbucks' stance and will regularly buy the company's coffee to show support.

Starbucks said if it were to adopt a policy prohibiting customers from carrying guns in states where it is legal to bear firearms, that would require its employees to ask law abiding customers to leave stores, putting them in an unfair and potentially unsafe position.

The company also said the gun-control debate belongs in the legislatures and courts, not at its stores.

"Advocacy groups from both sides of this issue have chosen to use Starbucks as a way to draw attention to their positions," the company said. "As the public debate continues, we are asking all interested parties to refrain from putting Starbucks or our partners in the middle of this divisive issue." T

 

[strife]

Check it out:
Link to videos of open carry demonstrations

 

[blooz4u]

Thanks for the vids. I wish more states allowed open carry. Here's a long comment from that video site.

"I apologize in advance for a rant that I’ve been keeping to myself for a long time. I know I’m not alone as a long time veteran police officer when I say that I don’t have a problem with people openly carrying their weapons. First, in order to get a licence to carry a citizen must show that they don’t have a felony record, are not mentally unstable, have references, and in general are just plain law abiding citizens. I’d rather see a weapon than not see one that’s present.
Secondly a lot of us peace officers know that law abiding citizens are not the problem, in fact they are our backup when the real bad guys do something. It takes us about a minute to assess whether or not a gun is legal and/or whether the carrier is competent. If there’s a problem we contact the local Chief of Police and let them know. As a long time detective, undercover, and plainclothes officer I’m so used to trying to conceal the damn thing I know how vulnerable people could be if I wasn’t a police officer. I walk into banks, offices, businesses, have conversations with uniformed officers and other people that have no idea I am armed.
It also pisses me off that many police officers and some police agencies lean towards restrictions on the second amendment while they themselves, have their own protection. These are the same agencies and police officers that think “regulations” are important and are the ones out there that are messing with the poor bastards driving to work who are trying to earn a living for their families or regulating citizens to the point where they actually fear them. As a veteran I also have seen that many of these guys are so arrogant they become tactically careless and actually exacerbate problems and situations needlessly.
Any cop with half a brain knows we can’t be everywhere at the same time to protect everybody. I watched police officers disarm law abiding citizens during Katrina and it made me sick to my stomach knowing those people were rendered defenseless after police intervention. That type of attitude leads to citizens thinking that we’re working against them and not for them. Don’t believe me? Look at the recent arrests of the militia that targeted police. They saw police as their adversaries and not protectors of their rights which upsets me greatly. To them we were just an arm of the government that was going to take away their rights. I openly question the circumstances that led to such a situation and the interactions with the local authorities that allowed a bunch of nuts to rationalize such a thing. I’m not questioning the investigation and arrests but I do question the previous years and situations surrounding the whole thing.
I hope I’m not a dying breed of police officer that still sees that it is an honor and privilege to serve the community instead of a narcissistic self-image boost for people that want to impose their will on others. I KNOW I’m not alone since I have been a member of Oathkeepers and have read and listened to others that agree with me.
I have seen a trend within the law enforcement community supported and championed by politicians that is going to get a lot of us killed or hurt and I have to say something. This attitude that only law enforcement officers should carry weapons, we should restrict citizens on second amendment rights and so on is the complete opposite of what we should be doing. We’re pissing good Americans off by doing it. First we’re trampling on their Constitutional rights and secondly we’re insulting them. They’re good people that will help us if we need them to. They obey the law and give us little or no headaches. They support us when it matters.
My advice to young officers that find themselves in organizations that aren’t exactly “citizen friendly”, that have quotas, whose officers are judged by how many regulations they enforce or think police work is an exercise in cynicism and that everyone hates us, so to hell with them all… don’t fall into that trap. Treat everyone like they were your mother, wife, son, daughter, or uncle, like you would want to be treated yourself, and you won’t have to adjust or change for every call. You’ll be surprised how well you can do your job and at the inherent goodness of people that are treated kindly and fairly. People under arrest don’t need lectures from you and sometimes letting them save a little face after screwing up might mean the difference between a compliant prisoner or one that hurts you and worsens their own situation. Never make them feel their life is over and always give them an option that offers them some hope for their present situation.
I give this advice because it applies to everything, including a citizen’s right to carry weapons, feeling comfortable with their law enforcement authorities, and the way we are viewed. Militias should not be viewing us as enemies, they should be calling us to give training on weapon safety and the laws. They should feel just as comfortable with us as they do with each other instead of plotting to kill police officers at funerals. Sometimes desperate people are only desperate because they can’t see hopeful alternatives or feel they are being oppressed instead of being protected. Public safety is not a pissing match between the public and law enforcement, it’s a partnership and it’s about time some of us realized it."

 

[Phi Delt]

I think I'll continue to give s'bucks my business. Good for them for making a stand against the nannyists.

 

[Nosmo King]

The following is really about my local Starbucks and a bullet....could've been REALLY bad....

So, took a late lunch yesterday and I noticed quite a large emergency responder presence behind a Starbucks, helicopter buzzing too. Apparently an individual tried to commit suicide with a neckshot, according to my source, but didn't finish the job. He was still pumping en route to John Peter Smith in Ft. Worth. However, the bullet kept on going. Story following. CRAZY. Take a look at the picture.

from: http://www.wfaa.com/news/local/Close-call-for-Starbucks-customer-in-Grapevine-91871404.html

Credit: David Cejka / WFAA-TV
The bullet shattered the glass at the Starbucks drive-thru window.

WFAA-TV
Posted on April 22, 2010 at 7:41 PM
Updated yesterday at 8:09 PM

Bullet into Starbucks

GRAPEVINE — A customer waiting for a cup of coffee at a Starbucks in Grapevine got quite a scare when a bullet whizzed by Thursday afternoon.
Police said it started as an attempted suicide at a residence in the 900 block of East Wall street — but the bullet kept on going.
The projectile traveled across the street and pierced the drive-thru window at the Starbucks at the corner of Business 114 and Texas Trail at around 1:15 p.m.
The bullet sped across the interior of the store and finally lodged inside the men's restroom.
Police said the bullet narrowly missed at least one customer.
The attempted suicide patient was taken to John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth for treatment. No additional information was available.