I had a feeling this was going to happen sooner or later:
If it’s just a “request”, why even bother? It basically just makes Starbucks look spineless… pick one side of the issue or else simply go with the “we just go by whatever the laws say you can do” stance they had before.
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.
You can read the full Open Carry letter from Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz at the link.
Hahah bonus points for using the word “ratchet”… too bad not in the way I hoped.
Consider buying an ENDO Apparel Guns And Coffee t-shirt to make sheeple who are against open carry and drink coffee feel uncomfortable.
Thoughts?
Hat tip: The dozen people who sent me related stories.
Comments
19 responses to “Starbucks Requests You Don’t Bring Your Firearms Into Their Stores”
Never been to Starbucks. Too many hipsters.
agreed.
I think it was a very respectful and honest letter. I don’t have a problem with really anything he said.
Starbucks just wants to sell coffee, they don’t want to enter into either side of the gun debate. Yet people with an agenda… Pro and anti open carry groups insisted on using Starbucks as a “political stage” as he calls it.
All he’s really saying is, “stop using our stores to advance your political agenda”, and I think we can all respect that.
^^^^What he said. Even some folks in the “industry” respect Starbuck’s decision. Raven Concealment and Travis Haley posted this interesting article on Facebook recently: http://practicaltacticalpodcast.com/starbucks/
I guess SB got a little butthurt when douches showed up with ninjafied, tactically tactical 22lr AR’s and railed out 870’s. They don’t mind your CCW’s, stay lo pro.
I go to Starbucks A LOT. Multiple times per week. And each time I spend more than 5$.
This video and the press release did do anything for me. I yawned.
However, this made my blood boil.
Moms Demand Action Successfully Pressures Starbucks to Stop Allowing Guns in Stores
http://momsdemandaction.org/category/in-the-news/
FUCK Starbucks until starbucks openly denounces Moms Demand Action.
They will not recieve anymore of my money. Fuck ’em.
I think that’s a bit harsh, Starbucks has said what they’re gonna say and I respect their (continued) neutral stance, they are a business after all. You’re clearly ok with Starbucks actions up until now, so why do they need to denounce MDA for their silly little victory dance?
Matt! This is just a wake-up call that you should be operating 10x harder in Starbucks related operations just to rub their face in it. I’m talking Double Deagle brand deagles with glock brand glock backups on the ankles, AR-15s in kydex hip holsters, ENDO Starbucks t-shirt… the whole 9 playa. ;)
I’m still buying the ENDO Starbucks T, looks too damn cool to pass up.
Only this time I get to repel from the ENDO-chopper. Got it?
Let’s all take a moment and thank the open carry virgin nerds who used this as their stage to get the attention they were so desperately starved of. “Hurr a right unexercised is a right lost.” I know the letter didn’t have any real teeth, but all of the anti’s see this as a huge victory whether real or not.
I’ve said it elsewhere, but I think there are two camps of open carry folks: One that walks into a place like Starbucks wearing a smile and their handgun on their hip, orders and enjoys a fresh cup of coffee and quietly leaves with a smile and the other that swaggers on in with their AR, AK or shotgun for a cup of coffee just because they can.
I fall into the former camp and agree that the latter one has grievously hurt our cause.
I also fall into the first camp. I have OC’d for almost 10 years. It’s never been an issue.
What caused the ruckus (besides the antis) was the damned ‘Appreciation Days’ and dipshits like this:
http://i793.photobucket.com/albums/yy214/mskittie40/things.png
haha yea, regarding the pic that’s bound to get some attention.
I think that Starbucks is being placed in a tough spot. Their stance has always been do what you want as long as it’s legal just leave us out of your political fights. Unfortunately some in the gun community decided that Starbucks was the place to take the stand and fight for their own political beliefs. This stirs up the other sides and then Starbucks gets thrown in the middle of the fight. Unfortunately if people don’t stop, then Starbucks will feel forced into making a choice one way or the other and no one will be happy with the outcome.
As a side note, I see a parallel to the use of exploding targets. Sure they are legal, fun and safe if used properly. But we have some who have the attitude that since they are legal they are going to use them whatever way they want to. So you see videos of people blowing up appliances and cars, and anything else they can.(*cough* FPS Russia *cough*) Now the opposition groups see this and are starting to say “You can buy an assemble it yourself at home terrorist bomb kit. just look at the destructive power in these videos” and now they are pushing to regulate or eliminate these products.
In both scenarios, I believe that a few people who decide to use the situation or product in an unwise manner will end up costing the rest of us in the long run.
They want to sell coffee. Why they should have to “pick a side” in a politically charged debate is beyond me. They have made it very apparent they do not want to pick a side, first by saying we’ll abide by the laws of the place the store is in and then by saying please stop involving us in this debate.
Yup. This.
F Starbitch! They took a stand to not support our troops, and now they want to take our rights away from us.
I do not patronize their mud-shacks, and I’d be pissed-off if I open-carried in, say, Arizona and they wanted me to check my guns at the door. On the other hand, they still won’t know we’re CCW until we stop the robbery in their store.
This guy thinks he’s running Bushwood Country Club…
Nobody is taking anyones rights away…
Like any other business, Starbucks want to maintain and improve profits. What they say and do depends entirely upon that alone.