Posted on 03/23/2012 5:57:22 AM PDT by Kaslin
The Opera House in Seattle was the setting for Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz and the annual board meeting of his church of Starbucks.
That's what it felt like -- what with the heart-stirring videos, the soulful songs of Grammy award-winning Esperanza Spalding, and a real Baptist preacher (Rev. Calvin Butts), not to mention free coffee and doughnuts.
Jonathan Baker, head of the National Organization for Marriage's Corporate Fairness Project was there to ask if the board really approved the statement that gay marriage is "core to the Starbucks brand."
Yes, Schultz said. Most of the room there applauded, but what happens in Seattle doesn't stay in Seattle.
Another shareholder asked how it could possibly be in the shareholders' interest to wade into a hot-button political and cultural issue. A few brave souls in the audience applauded.
I was going to ask a question, too, but Schultz cut off questions just before I spoke, leaving me the sole person standing before a microphone with a question in my heart to ask:
Millions of good, honorable, decent and loving people believe that marriage is the union of husband and wife for a reason -- these unions make new life and connect children to a mom and a dad. Of all the sustainable ecosystems Starbucks might want to support, surely this one is worthy of a company that bills itself as a company with a conscience?
I wanted to tell Schultz personally that we at the National Organization for Marriage were going to ask all his customers, employees and vendors who do not support gay marriage to make their presence known.
I don't generally support boycotts, especially not the kind gay marriage advocates have launched that target whole business enterprises if any one major partner personally donates to a measure like California's Proposition 8. It's wrong because the basic norms of business are that people of differing moral views, even on deeply felt moral issues like gay marriage and abortion, need to work together to grow a company to serve their customers and shareholders.
But Starbucks has voluntarily decided -- as a corporation -- to associate its brand with a major political issue, the CEO just confirmed. I was in the room. I heard him.
Customers across the world have a right to know that contrary to the promises made by the corporation in the Middle East and elsewhere, Starbucks does subsidize political causes. Drinking a cup of Starbucks coffee, sadly, means supporting gay marriage.
The National Organization for Marriage, which I co-founded, in response this week announced a national and international protest: DumpStarbucks.com. We are asking customers who oppose gay marriage to call both their local Starbucks branch and company headquarters to communicate that they wish to be able to buy a great cup of Seattle coffee without promoting gay marriage, and to switch to another brand of coffee.
Speak out, and stop being invisible to powerful men like Schultz. The business of America may or may not be business, but the business of corporations is to make an honest profit by serving all their customers well, both those who favor and those who oppose gay marriage.
My morning coffee stops are at a local business owned by a Tea Party patriot. I don’t do Starbucks anymore unless there’s nothing else available.
Hampton Roads FReepers, if you’re through Gloucester County, message me and I’ll send you over the website info for this place. Her coffees are far better than Starbucks can ever hope to be.
My wife and I are ahead of the curve on this one. We dumped Starbucks a couple years ago. Haven’t missed it at all. Oh, if anyone is looking for a good bean for their home coffeemaker, try Eight-O-Clock Italian Roast. Beats anything we’ve ever had from a coffee outlet.
Just built a Starbucks near me.
Already have a Dunkin Donut near.
I wouldn’t use Starbucks even if the DD closed down. I would brew my own...
Any business that ties its name to perverts does not get my business
Problem with being on top is you start thinking you’re smart outside your field!
These new ‘moralities’ have nearly destroyed our country, but these guys are still on board for more: 41% illegitimate birth rate (53% for women under 30), 80 Federal programs costing $750 Billion per year to take care of these welfare babies (another $250 Billion at the state level), most of the unwed mothers plunged into poverty and state dependency for life, 70% of the residents of Federal prison come from these homes. Yeah, undermining traditional marriage is sure making things better.
I don’t want to see what things are like in twenty years or so when this crop of dysfunctional Ba****** takes over.
No problem avoiding Starbuck's - there are plenty of other places to get a cup of joe.
I love the coffee drinks but most Cafe’s I have been to are run by the same creepy people who want to “save the world”
Or, they tolerate it because it is somehow expected?
Sort of like the nature and backpacking sites are infested with libs who all know better than everyone else.
I guess becaue they claim to care about the environment. So, obviously only they, and they alone, can appreciate nature and the outdoors.
The same way they alone care about “real” science, too!
“Right-wingers” are anti-fresh air and clean water, and anti”real” science,afterall.
We know progs care because they leave thier houses they turn off their murcery lightbulbs and drive to cafe’s in their coal generated “green” cars to voice their concerns for the environment from their plastic (petrolleum based)laptops.
My point, and thanks for letting me vent, is buy yourself a cappucino maker with the little cream steamer.
It would help the economy a little without supporting leftards and their retarded ideas.
Starbucks coffee is the worst commercially available swill I have ever tasted. What they do is over-roast the low quality beans they buy to increase the bitterness so that it tastes strong even though they cut back on the quantity the use with each brew. You pay $5-$6 per cup for weak, bitter swill.
Since I am a coffee connoisseur who just loves a cup of fine java I never go anywhere near a Starbucks. As far as I’m concerned it’s over roasted swill. I’m sure much of their customers come for the fruity-tooty mocha-lowka super sweet coffee flavored drinks rather than a real cup of joe.
I don’t do starbucks, over roasted beans and over
inflated prices.
Even McD has better coffee today.
They sell coffee at Starbucks?
Proud to report I’ve never been to a Starbucks. Mostly because the prices are ridiculous. Now I have a real reason.
I feel like the lone person that isn't crazy for the place :)
Hah! That cracked me up - thanks
So that's why I've never liked Starbucks. . .You've just described what it is that makes their coffee taste so bad to me. . .now on the other hand, Dunkin Donut's coffee, heck. . even McDonald's coffee tastes better by a long shot.
I haven't darkened the doorway or drive-thru window of a Starbucks for years. We've been aware of their left-wing lunatic worldview for quite a while now.
Thanks for the reminder that we're doing the right thing.
Freep-mail me to get on or off my pro-life and Catholic List:
Please ping me to note-worthy Pro-Life or Catholic threads, or other threads of general interest.
I got an email the other day about Starbucks. Allegedly, Marines in Afghanstan wrote to Starbucks asking them if they would send some coffee. Allegedly, Starbucks responded by telling the Marines thank you for their support of their business, but that Starbucks does not support the war, nor anyone in it, and that they would not send the troops their brand of coffee.
Don’t know if it is true or not, has anybody else heard about this? Or is it urban myth?
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.