"DAMN good coffee... and HOT!"
Posted on 08/10/2005 7:11:06 AM PDT by Houmatt
It's been two weeks since my last Starbucks coffee.
Admittedly, I am one of those who don't think twice about dropping $4 for a cup of coffee that costs less than $.50 to make. I am a self-proclaimed coffee house junkie and need that wonderful yuppie, intellectual "atmosphere" and freshly brewed aroma as much as the caffeine.
When I moved to D.C. right out of college, I encountered my first Starbucks drink, or should I say "experience"? Growing up in a military family, I loved chain restaurants because of the sense of familiarity they offered in every new town we moved to. So, to be able to get the same type of specialty coffee – grande, iced, skim, sugar-free vanilla, latte – everywhere, was an addiction waiting to happen.
Fast forward four years, and about 800 lattes later – I'm a Starbucks addict!
When a report came out earlier this year showing that none of Starbucks' charitable contributions went to conservative causes, I didn't blink -- I bought a latte. When I walked by a liquor store in Northeast D.C. with a big advertisement for Starbucks liquor, I kept walking, stopped in at Starbucks and bought a latte! When I was at work a couple weeks ago, reading an e-alert from our California organization (yes, latte in hand), I finally had a wake-up call.
The alert described the annual "gay" pride events which are scheduled in San Diego each year:
San Diego's annual "Pride" events include dangerous "circuit" parties, a parade with sexual content and sponsors along the route, including one advertising anal lubricants, a festival with sexually oriented venues.
OK, yes, that is all pretty disturbing, but daily, I read, write about and edit papers dealing with the homosexual agenda, so I was not at all shocked that this was going on. I was a little upset when I read that Starbucks was a sponsor. I took a sip of my latte as I read on:
In addition, the "festival" includes a "Youth Hangout Space" and a "Children's Garden." Not only is there concern about young people being part of sexually oriented events and venues, but two members of San Diego's Gay Pride organization's volunteer staff have been exposed as registered sex offenders who committed sex crimes against children.
OK – STOP, WAIT A MINUTE AND PUT THAT CUP OF COFFEE DOWN!
Not only is Starbucks sponsoring "Pride" week, but an event that places innocent children in the middle of sexually explicit materials ... and registered child molesters will be there running the show? If Starbucks is doing this knowingly, it is blatant irresponsibility, and if they are doing it unknowingly, it is irresponsible of them not to have done their homework. I started pacing back-and-forth, and all I could think was "Starbucks hates children."
For the first time, I stepped away from my latte, faced my denial about this company and started to do some serious soul searching – I needed to find out what they really supported. Fortunately, I didn't have to search very long because I have the Internet at my fingertips and one of the nation's top experts, Robert Knight, just down the hall from me.
Less than 30 minutes of research revealed the following:
Robert Knight told me that about 10 years ago, Starbucks started sponsoring these types of events, but backed off when conservatives started putting on the pressure. He explained that it is apparent they are slowly working their way back into the "gay" movement.
Starbucks is listed on the Planned Parenthood website under this introduction:
The following companies all generously match employee donations to Planned Parenthood Federation of America. If your employer is on this list, then you can make your gift go as much as twice as far.
Seattle, Wash., held "Gay Pride" events last month where, according to the newspaper, Seattle Post Intelligence Reporter:
About 75 Starbucks employees will march in the parade and will wear T-shirts in rainbow colors with the word "PRIDE" on the front ... A van from the coffee company will follow them. On Capitol Hill tomorrow, Starbucks employees at the company's three stores there will pass out samples of Mint Mocha Chip Frappuccino. The marketing director for Starbucks in Washington explained: "We're committed to supporting things that matter to our employees and our customers."
Several conservatives are upset already by Starbucks' fairly new "The way I see it campaign," which prints quotes from actors, artists, etc., on the outside of their paper cups. By visiting their website and reading some of the quotes, it's easy to see why there has been this big brouhaha – nearly all of them are liberal celebrities.
The list does go on, but in a nutshell – Starbucks has a corporate policy of supporting the homosexual agenda by sponsoring "Pride" events all over the country -- events where children will be exposed to sexually explicit materials and pedophiles as well as the extremely liberal and pro-abortion Planned Parenthood. This might be a good time to add that the owner of Starbucks made a large donation to a liberal candidate's campaign.
So what do I do now?
I am not a big fan of boycotts. A friend once told me if we boycotted everything we disagreed with, we would be naked and hungry. I've also heard something like, "It doesn't matter what's on the cup, but what's in it." I love Starbucks coffee and as I worked through this problem, I wasn't about to give up without a fight – and I didn't give up, but rather, I failed miserably.
I overestimated, but discovered that if I drink five grande lattes a week for a year, the total number of lattes would equal 260, coming to a total cost of $1,040. So, in my four post-college years, I could have contributed as much as $4,160 to a company that supports the volunteer work of child abusers, "Pride" events, abortionists, and do I really need to go on? Back to that marketing director's quote: "We're committed to supporting things that matter to our employees and our customers." Um ... HELLO, I am a customer, too!
As I was searching the Internet, I saw a link to a site with words no Christian girl should repeat. I didn't have to enter to read this: "Folks, if Starbucks is 'too liberal' for you then don't buy their @#$# percent*# coffee."
Thanks for the tip! "Folks," what you do is up to you, but as for me and my habit, I will no longer support Starbucks.
Yes, I started as a Starbucks coffee snob, but I am very open-minded now – if you know any good coffee houses, please let me know!
Yup. It's the green mountain stuff. My empty (pouts) cup is sitting here staring at me. THe eggnog sounds good though. Makes me look forward to winter (actually I already do look forward to it....this heat is killin' me!)
"DAMN good coffee... and HOT!"
Starbucks overroasts their coffee and drowns it whenever possible in sugary syrup.
No thank you.
Regards, Ivan
Don't forget the cherry pie to go with it.
Regards, Ivan
No problem. One of my firm's clients had 1st Islamic come in as an equity partner on a number of senior living homes owned by the client. We did a lot of research on 1st Islamic to make sure they're clean.
Homosexual Agenda Ping.
Read up about Starbucks - the coffee's not that good, anyway. If you buy Starbucks coffee, you are helping support the "gay" agenda. No doubt about it.
Freepmail me if you want on/off this pinglist.
There are thousands of little coffee wagons and kiosks out there with product that is, at least, equally good and usually better. I'd rather (and do) support the local guy anyway.
Had I started the company I'd have named it for Stubb -- a far more compelling -- and fun -- character. Then again, nobody would want to buy an overpriced coffee called "Stubbs..."
The literary roots of Starbucks go further than Moby Dick, however. The company has created a magnificent fiction of words: where else is Small Tall, Medium Big, and Large something in Italian?
Tanniker Smith: I once made an insulting comment about Starbucks to a friend who looked back at me as if I'd slapped a nun. "Don't you ever -- ever say anything bad about Starbucks again," she admonished. (And this one knows how to admonish...). "Okay, okay," I replied, "I swear I'll never mention how much their coffee sucks ever again." "Don't--" she continued, and settled the discussion with, "I bought the stock early, and I bought hard. Don't you ever say anything bad about it again." I followed the advice, especially since I was staying at a palace in Aspen that her Starbucks stock helped pay for...
starbucks now stardoes?
I think a lot of their success is the interesting sounding name.
And the fact that they are indeed everywhere. I'll admit to purchasing their coffee now and again. But not any more.
For an alterate coffee shop, I recommend either The Coffee Beanery (also called Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf). If you're into grinding coffee beans & making your own (as I do) I suggest Gevalia, which is available online or mail order.
Here in New York we have Oren's for buying brewed coffee or coffee beans, though I guess they might have the same liberal proclivities.
Hate to say it, but I see a correlation between the cultural rise of "gourmet" coffee (probably gourmet anything) and gay sensibility. Starbucks' liberal stance is simply the nature of the beast.
"The author needs to take a small business class"
Exactly. They are not selling a commodity and they are also a for profit company.
Go to any restaurant or grocery store and see if the input costs have any relationship to the price of the product.
I do buy this type of coffee. I try to buy it from places that have equal or better products than Starbucks.
There are some really good locally owned places in my area. They seem to have a few less of the Birkenstock crowd than Starbucks also.
>>In addition, the "festival" includes a "Youth Hangout Space" and a "Children's Garden."<<
The local "pride" pareade here in Providence had the same set-up, according to their website. Cox Communications, NBC, Bank of America, all sponsors.
I weep for this nation.
Keep prayin' folks.
Heard about this BS awhile ago. Haven't touched a Starbucks since. Folgers and Maxwell House took some getting used to but as far as I know they do not support the forcible rape of children.
"that's why I go there"
Yeah. Right....me too.
ping
Starbuck...dashing Harrison Ford clone..."
I'll take the Starbuck from the new series on Sci-fi. She comes tall and vanilla and just strong enough without being overbearing, and never burnt! lol
Buy fresh-roasted (roasted on site) whole bean coffee and grind when ready. There are mom and pop shops that provide some wonderful coffee! You might end up paying more than you would like, but the result is most often worth the price.
This advice is written for coffee snobs like the author of the article. I include myself in that category. For those who don't recognize a difference in their coffees, stick with Folgers or your favorite canned coffee.
see post 35... ;)
Best coffee I ever had was Gevaglia. I like Starbucks burnt flavor too once in a while, but I don't like paying for it.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.