Probably wouldn't bother me, but I can understand how it might some people. Or how some might walk out the door.
Posted on 09/19/2013 4:19:45 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
Here’s his letter about it to the company. It’s just a request, not a ban. If he made it a ban, then employees would have to enforce it. And he’s quite candid about his misgivings over putting an unarmed worker in the position of telling someone who’s packing that they’re unwelcome.
Lots of grumbling about this on Twitter this morning, which surprised me. Surely there can’t be that much overlap between fans of open carry and fans of pumpkin spice lattes. Turns out I had missed the news about “Starbucks Appreciation Day” by gun owners last month, though. This isn’t just a change in policy by some random company; this is a company that had been notably respectful of gun rights and commended for it by aficionados deciding that it was all a big mistake. No mystery as to why, either. Sonny Bunch is spot on:
What’s interesting to me is that it’s obvious Schultz has no fear of guns (nor should he; when’s the last time there was a mass-shooting at a Starbucks perpetrated by someone with an open-carry permit?). No. He fears the left. And he doesn’t fear the right.
These are all sensible positions for him to take…
The left … does the politicized life exceptionally well. They mount campaigns to pressure corporations to get what they want. They organize boycotts. They direct their complaints to gatekeepers who share their views and can influence policy. They blacklist artists with whom they disagree and pressure corporations to do the same. They control the levers of the media to add additional pressure from newspapers and television networks.
So there will be a lot of fulmination on social media from those on the right about rights and guns and the Constitution, and then a little less the next day, and a little less the day after that, until finally you forgot why you were mad at Starbucks and you stop tweeting and facebooking and kvetching and start buying pumpkin spice lattes by the bucketful and, in a moment of clarity, you’ll think about how silly it was for you to give up Starbucks in the name of something that literally never impacted you in the first place because you don’t have an open-carry permit.
Exactly. Whatever little extra business Starbucks gets from gun owners on the annual “Appreciation Day” would be washed away by the business lost once the left’s intelligentsia finally decides Something Must Be Done about the company’s tolerance for gun rights. Schultz is getting ahead of a backlash by backing down now so that he doesn’t look even weaker by backing down later after a liberal boycott takes effect. Hopefully this half-assed “request, not a ban” position will mollify them while reassuring gun owners that if they simply can’t bear to be without the pumpkin spice while they have their weapon on them, they’re welcome to come in. Unless your business is designed to be overtly conservative, staying on the left’s good side is usually in your economic interest even if it means alienating righties. Imagine how many wedding-industry professionals have learned a lesson from stories like this one to extend their services to gay couples, whether they have an objection to gay marriage or not.
Exit quotation: “There are times when I feel like America has lost its conscience.”
(VIDEO-AT-LINK)
I've no problem with Starbucks essentially requesting but not banning open carry, they're a business which seems to be supportive of gun rights, thus the appreciation day. Harming their business is no way to thank them.
...asking open carriers to leave their guns home is no way of thanking their customers. But I agree the shotgun makes no sense in everyday life.
(On a personal note, I don't like "open carry" as a tactical matter. I want them to be surprised when they try to mug me.)
On a personal note, I don't either. Unless you've a reason to carry a long arm, imo it defeats the purpose.
Steering a bit back to the original Hot Air article, the observation is made that Starbucks is more afraid of the leftists than they are of the gun owners. I think they’ve been trying to stay aloof of the political arguments, but they’re withering under the fire of the leftists because of the pro-gun demonstration (which I think was dumb). This “request” will eventually end up being a “ban” because the request is not going to be considered good enough by the lefties that are calling the shots.
FWIW. According to “some sources” the photo of the guy holding the 12 gauge was taken at a Starbucks in Kuwait in 2005 - http://practicaltacticalpodcast.com/starbucks/
This is excerpted from the article just below the same photo on the above site:
“Edit: I was contacted by the individual pictured above. He is in the US Military, and for context, wanted to advise that this photo was taken in a Starbucks in Camp Arifjan, Kuwait in 2005. He did not request the photo be removed, just wanted to add context for this particular photo. -Casey”
I’m not convinced yet. Still waiting for a little more info on this photo.
If you’re carry a rifle, then they aren’t going to see you from the 200 yard range you’re planning on. Won’t hear a thing, either. ;^)
I don’t know. It could, but not only are they a Seattle company, they’re concentrated in urban areas which tend to be liberal. Banning firearms wouldn’t be a difficult decision were they a liberal company. And in the unlikely event I ran a company like Starbucks, my reaction to the thank you demonstrations wouldn’t be much different. Thank me in another way. You’re right about the leftist complaints, but they got no reaction. As to the Hot Air article contension they’re more afraid of leftists, Hot Air left too much out of the article to be credible. Starbucks doesn’t strike me a an enemy, shouldn’t characterize them as one. Need friends, not enemies.
Probably wouldn't bother me, but I can understand how it might some people. Or how some might walk out the door.
I all for letting the market decide. Put forward a quality product at a reasonable price and I’m game for it. I really don’t care for all this boycott/buycott business. It makes it too damned hard to live, deciding on who to trade with based on their political activities. As much as I like to dabble in politics, I don’t want my whole life to revolve around it.
Sure, I’ll toss some business to Chick-fil-A once in a while as a way of saying “Atta boy!”, but keeping a list of sponsors to boycott for this reason or that is just too demanding.
Ah Hot Air...where the libtard trolls run wild spewing stupidity and insults to their betters while I was apparently banned without warning or explanation.
Regardless, Starbleaughs and every other business that thinks they have a right to override the 2nd can go pout in a corner like the little babies they are. Them AND their snooty brainwashed-yuppie and college-kid crowd who have been spoiled by freedom and safety their entire pathetic lives.
You want safety, either live in a police state or give John and Jane Q. Average the means to EFFECTIVELY defend themselves.
Perhaps this is the perfect opportunity to stage a 1960’s style Sit in protest by gun owners?
If he ain’t going to ask us to leave, we should just sit in our local star bucks with our guns and browse the web?
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