An Open Letter from Howard Schultz About Guns In His Stores

[rsmith6621]

http://www.starbucks.com/blog/an-open-letter-from-howard-schultz/1268


Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Posted by Howard Schultz, Starbucks chairman, president and chief executive officer

Dear Fellow Americans,

Few topics in America generate a more polarized and emotional debate than guns. In recent months, Starbucks stores and our partners (employees) who work in our stores have been thrust unwillingly into the middle of this debate. That’s why I am writing today with a respectful request that customers no longer bring firearms into our stores or outdoor seating areas.

From the beginning, our vision at Starbucks has been to create a “third place” between home and work where people can come together to enjoy the peace and pleasure of coffee and community. Our values have always centered on building community rather than dividing people, and our stores exist to give every customer a safe and comfortable respite from the concerns of daily life.

[NYC_SKP]

1. Good!

There is absolutely no reason to bring even a legally carried weapon into a Starbucks.

If you're that frightened by barristas, then go someplace else.

Or, you can leave your weapon in your car and then go in.

Problem solved.

Good on Starbucks, but I still prefer indies.

[AZ Mike]

2. Good on Schultz!

Now, it's up to us to support this move. Whatever your other gripes with Starbucks may be on other issues (I'm sure I have seen some anger on here directed at Starbucks, but I don't remember specifically), you really ought to stand by Schultz on this issue. This is a courageous thing to do and I'm sure we'll see NRA-driven boycotts and even open carry stand-ins at Starbucks locations. I, for one, will be walking right through those nutfucks to get myself a drink.

Will you?

[AZ Mike]

3. I should note....

....I'm sure that all these gun-ophiliacs will definitely respect Schultz's decision as a private business owner with the liberty to operate his private business in accordance with his personal and moral beliefs.

Right?

[CherokeeDem]

28. Good luck with that!

I wish you were right, but you are spot on... they won't.

[AZ Mike]

42. But, but....

....FREEDUM!!!!

[murielm99]

14. I will.

Even though I like some other coffee shops better, and I am a gun owner. I support this.

I will tell the employees why I am supporting them, too.

[rsmith6621]

4. Your 2nd AMD Rights End

When you enter the store so if they dont like it there are plenty of other coffee shops out there.

[elleng]

7. Not exactly.

'a respectful request that customers no longer bring firearms into our stores or outdoor seating areas' has nothing to do with anyone's 2d AMD rights,

[Skittles]

8. yes - a simple sign cannot stop paranoia

[ZRT2209]

12. the 2nd Amend speaks to a "well regulated militia" NOT an individual right to own guns

and the guns in question are - per strict constructionism - only those types available at the time the Constitution was written.

[SleeplessinSoCal]

17. Try asking this question of an "in your face 2nd Amendment above all" type . . .

What is the point of the 2nd Amendment? And why does it exist?

I've yet to get a response.

[Lizzie Poppet]

39. Nope.

Neither legal precedent nor competent linguistic analysis supports anything other than the individual right interpretation.

[Jenoch]

40. To be consistent,

you also believe the 1st Amendment does not include material posted on the internet, right?

[AllyCat]

13. Your 2nd Amendment rights do not "end" when you walk into their store.

You cannot carry your gun with you anywhere you please because, well, you just want to. There is not one thing about a store saying they don't want weapons there that somehow inhibits your right to bear arms. The Constitution does not say ANYTHING about you carrying your weapon to go shopping, to the movies, or out to the park. If you can't go out in public without a gun, it's time to get some help.

The world is NOT out to get you.

[Daniel537]

34. Concealed carry allows you to carry a firearm almost anywhere you please.

You can debate the exact meaning of the constitution all you want, but this is settled law.

[Logical]

29. You tend to forget that the right to carry guns everywhere is not what the 2nd says

[Hoyt]

5. Having participated in some facebook gun love forums, this is good news.

I'll stop by to say thanks for rationality. Seriously, there were some strange gun cultists on Starbucks gun appreciation sites.

[Iggo]

6. Ha!

[Indpndnt]

9. "No shirt, no shoes, no service"

There will be protests that they aren't breaking the law, so Starbucks cannot legally stop them from carrying in the store. Well. It isn't illegal to go barefoot or, for guys (and gals, depending on location), to go shirtless, yet "No shirt, no shoes, no service" signs are ubiquitous. That protest won't hunt. Heh.

I predict very tense confrontations in stores, though, especially this week.

[Lee-Lee]

23. In most states with CCW if the store posts a sign, you cannot legally carry

That is the case here in NC.

Post a sign, no CCW inside. Don't post, it it legal to carry.

The big question is will the stores post or not? If not, then they haven't actually taken a stand.

[Indpndnt]

24. Agreed.

Many will still pitch a fit, even though many malls and restaurants they frequent already have this restriction. In fact, Cabela's does this, too, and has a guard at the front to take all guns and lock them up until the customer leaves (probably after buying more guns and ammo). Yet, I'll bet Cabela's is a favorite store with many of those same customers.

That doesn't mean they won't fuss about a "coffee shop" asking them politely not to bring their guns.

[maryellen99]

25. they'll probably call for a boycott and start going to Dunkin Donuts nt

[Daniel537]

35. Schultz has already stated this is just a request, not actual policy. n/t

[Hekate]

10. KnR.

[Cha]

11. Great, Howard Schultz! He's also had some good things to say about

Obamacare and he's no longer partnering with morning joe.

Howard Schultz: Obamacare Is 'A Good Thing For The Country'

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/16/starbucks-obamacare_n_3935999.html

"Why Obama Endorsement From Starbucks CEO Who Battled Obamacare Is A Big Deal"

http://thenewcivilrightsmovement.com/why-obama-endorsement-from-starbucks-ceo-who-battled-obamacare-is-a-big-deal/politics/2012/11/01/52760

MSNBC’s Morning Joe Is No Longer ‘Brewed by Starbucks’

http://www.mediaite.com/tv/msnbcs-morning-joe-is-no-longer-brewed-by-starbucks/

thanks rsmith

[calimary]

43. Hmmm... methinks I'm liking Starbucks more and more by the hour!

I went to the Starbucks link - SHIT! I cannot believe the comments. What selfish, thoughtless pricks! "MY RIGHTS OVERRIDE your whatever-the-fuck-you're-concerned-about." Hey, assholes, try being considerate of somebody else's concerns for a split second. If I spotted a gun on someone sitting next to me in some store or coffee bar or some such, I would leave that place, because I won't subject myself to that kind of abuse and bullying and attempted intimidation. And I would let the manager on duty there know why I am leaving, on my way toward the door. I'm one of those customers whom the Starbucks' CEO described as becoming uncomfortable seeing somebody with a gun in there, unless they're some sort of on-duty cop. Seems to me the rest of 'em are just swaggering adult-size six-year-olds who've just gotta play Lone Ranger in public to look tough.

Many of those comments inspired me to come up with a new meme: gun goons. And if one of them derides me as a "gun grabber," which I noted in one of the comments, I will stand up and smile and say "why thank you! See, we DO agree on something!"

And I'm sure I'm gonna get flamed into a charred shriveled crumb about this, but that's how I feel. Every mass shooting and every senseless gun death solidifies my belief just a little bit more.

[Cha]

44. Yeah, Starbucks has done a one eighty, calimary..

So glad to see this.

[mwrguy]

15. Sounds like they still refuse to officially post it

Still playing "nudge nudge, hint hint".

[Spitfire of ATJ]

16. How can they be "safe" without guns?

[lynne]

18. Wonder if they'll just carry concealed instead -

- so that no one notices? I've always felt it was the guns I couldn't see that I needed to be worried about.

[Go Vols]

45. Yep

Same here.

[sarisataka]

19. It sounds like Starbucks

is tired of being a pawn in a political debate. One side tried to trump them as supporting theirs and the other side protests for not supporting theirs. They are trying to appease each side. We prefer people do not bring in guns but won't do anything if they do; we just want to sell coffee.

Can't say that I blame them.

[Hoyt]

22. Based upon photos, I think they attracted too many gun parading yahoos

than they, or the vast majority of their customers, wanted.


Some gun parading customers --

[CherokeeDem]

30. For Crying Out Loud...

If someone wants to own a gun, I don't have an issue with that need. I do have an issue with someone I do not know, parading around with these kinds of weapons, brandishing them about. They make me nervous and that's infringing on my personal rights.


If these people think they look cool, they are delusional.

[Daniel537]

36. No actually, its not infringing on any of your rights.

There is nothing in the constitution that states you have a right to not feel nervous. If someone doesn't like open carry laws, they are free to urge their legislators to overturn such laws.

[CherokeeDem]

37. Perhaps not my legal rights...

I am well aware of that fact... but on my rights as a human being not to be frighten by a bunch of nutcases.

And I don't like open or concealed carry and I have let my state and national elected officials know.

[Daniel537]

38. You may be frightened, but others may not.

As long as nobody is threatening anyone, there's really no issue at hand.

[CherokeeDem]

41. Tell that to the people who are dead and injured at the Navy Yard...

and at the other locations where someone has opened fire. I doubt Alexis appeared threatening to anyone at the Yard until he raised that weapon and fired.

And please do not decide for me what I should and shouldn't be concerned about. There are issues here and to pretend there are not is irresponsible.

[sarisataka]

32. This is a case

where I must agree with you. It is one thing to say thanks for allowing us in your store and a completely different to have rallies claiming they are on your side. By choosing to make it into something Starbucks clearly said it was not, they have pushed SB into a less neutral position...

Yahoos is an apt description for those who do that.

[Buns_of_Fire]

33. "You can have my avacado-banana triple-dip smoothie when you pry it..."

[Broncos_Fan]

20. Starbucks Says Guns Unwelcome, Though Not Banned

ABC News is reporting that it isn't an outright ban and Starbucks employees won't ask anyone carrying a gun to leave, Starbucks is simply stating their preference that customers not carry in their shops. Sounds like they're trying to walk a tightrope...I can't see how this will appease either side. I suspect those who carry are accustomed to being "frowned upon" and this might actually encourage more carrying in Starbucks stores. Those who want Starbucks to send a strong message that they don't want guns in their stores might applaud the message at first, until they realize it has no teeth and is actually kind of wimpy. I think Starbucks just made their headache worse...

[UTUSN]

26. The whole thing with highlights. ("open letter" not subject to copyright edits?)

********QUOTE*****

[font size=5]Posted by Howard Schultz, Starbucks chairman, president and chief executive officer[/font]

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Dear Fellow Americans,

Few topics in America generate a more polarized and emotional debate than guns. In recent months, [FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: yellow"]Starbucks[/FONT] stores and our partners (employees) who work in our stores [FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: yellow"]have been thrust unwillingly into the middle[/FONT] of this debate. That’s why I am writing today with a respectful [FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: yellow"]request that customers no longer bring firearms[/FONT] into our stores or outdoor seating areas.

From the beginning, our vision at Starbucks has been to create a “third place” between home and work where people can come together to enjoy the peace and pleasure of coffee and community. [FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: yellow"]Our values have always centered on building community rather than dividing[/FONT] people, and our stores exist to give every customer a safe and [FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: yellow"]comfortable respite[/FONT] from the concerns of daily life.

We appreciate that there is a highly sensitive [FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: yellow"]balance of rights and responsibilities[/FONT] surrounding America’s gun laws, and we recognize the deep passion for and against the “open carry” laws adopted by many states. (In the United States, “open carry” is the term used for openly carrying a firearm in public.) For years we have listened carefully to input from our customers, partners, community leaders and voices on both sides of this complicated, highly charged issue.

Our company’s longstanding approach to “open carry” has been to follow local laws: we permit it in states where allowed and we prohibit it in states where these laws don’t exist. We have chosen this approach because we believe our store partners should not be put in the uncomfortable position of requiring customers to disarm or leave our stores. We believe that gun policy [FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: yellow"]should be addressed by government and law enforcement — not by Starbucks[/FONT] and our store partners.

Recently, however, we’ve seen the [FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: yellow"]“open carry” debate become increasingly uncivil and[/FONT], in some cases, even [FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: yellow"]threatening. Pro-gun activists have used our stores as a political stage for media events misleadingly called[/FONT] “Starbucks [FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: yellow"]Appreciation Days[/FONT]” that [FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: yellow"]disingenuously[/FONT] portray Starbucks as a champion of “open carry.” To be clear: [FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: yellow"]we do not want these events in our stores[/FONT]. Some anti-gun activists have also played a role in [FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: yellow"]ratcheting up the rhetoric and friction[/FONT], including soliciting and confronting our customers and partners.

For these reasons, today we are respectfully requesting that customers no longer bring firearms into our stores or outdoor seating areas—even in states where “open carry” is permitted—unless they are authorized law enforcement personnel.

I would like to clarify two points. First, this is a request and not an outright ban. Why? Because we want to give responsible gun owners the chance to respect our request—and also because enforcing a ban would potentially require our partners to confront armed customers, and that is not a role I am comfortable asking Starbucks partners to take on. Second, we know we cannot satisfy everyone. For those who oppose “open carry,” we believe the legislative and policy-making process is the proper arena for this debate, not our stores. For those who champion “open carry,” please respect that Starbucks stores are places where everyone should feel relaxed and comfortable. The presence of [FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: yellow"]a weapon in our stores is unsettling and upsetting[/FONT] for many of our customers.

I am proud of our country and our heritage of civil discourse and debate. It is in this spirit that we make today’s request. Whatever your view, I encourage you to be responsible and respectful of each other as citizens and neighbors.

Sincerely,

Howard Schultz

*************UNQUOTE*************

[UTUSN]

27. Bwah-HAH, plus Starbucks has dropped sponsoring Morning Schmo!1

On the same grounds for being "unsettling and upsetting"?!1

[rrneck]

31. Being a political football is bad for business.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/19/business/starbucks-in-a-reversal-to-bar-guns-from-stores.html?_r=0

Starbucks says guns unwelcome, though not banned

NEW YORK (AP) — Starbucks says guns are no longer welcome in its cafes, though it is stopping short of an outright ban on firearms.

The fine line that the retailer is walking to address the concerns of both gun rights and gun control advocates reflects how heated the issue has become, particularly in light of recent mass shootings.

Most states allow people to openly carry licensed guns in some way and many companies do not have policies banning firearms in their stores. But Starbucks has become a target for gun control advocates, in part because of its liberal-leaning corporate image. In turn, gun rights advocates have been galvanized by the company's decision to defer to local laws.

In an interview, CEO Howard Schultz said the decision to ask customers to stop bringing guns into stores came as a result of the growing frequency of "Starbucks Appreciation Days" in recent months, in which gun rights advocates turn up at Starbucks cafes with firearms.