Gun bloggers Sebastian and gay cynic responded to the National Gun Victims Action Council recent announcement of a Valentine’s Day Starbucks boycott by organizing a BUYcott. Greg’s asking gun owners to reward Starbucks for its firearms policy by buying a beverage or food item with a two dollar bill (representing the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms) on February 14th. Not forgetting to “thank the clerk for Starbucks’ support of the Constitution.” Ahead of Starbuck’s Appreciation Day–which has now gone viral—our own Tim Tritt contacted the Seattle coffeesmith to voice his support for their support for gun rights. The company emailed him the following . . .
Dear Tim,
Thank you for contacting Starbucks Coffee Company.
Thank you for your feedback regarding Starbucks’ policy on open carry laws.
At Starbucks, we deeply respect the views of our customers and recognize that there is significant and genuine passion surrounding the issue of open carry weapons laws. We comply with local laws and statutes in the communities we serve. Our long-standing approach to this issue remains unchanged and we abide by the laws that permit open carry in 43 U.S. states. Where these laws don’t exist, openly carrying weapons in our stores is prohibited.
As the public debate around this issue continues, we encourage customers and advocacy groups from both sides to share their input with their public officials. We are extremely sensitive to the issue of gun violence in our society and believe that supporting local laws is the right way for us to ensure a safe environment for both partners and customers.
If you have any further questions or concerns that I was unable to address, please feel free to let me know.
Warm Regards,
Kelsey F
Customer Relations
Starbucks Coffee Company
800 STARBUC (782-7282)
Monday through Friday, 5AM to 8PM (PST)
I just commented on this a couple minutes ago in a previous day’s post before I saw this. The only problem I have with Starbuck’s statement is that it implies that open carry is only legal (and only welcome in their stores) when the law expressly permits it. In some areas such as much of Pennsylvania open carry is generally legal (with certain exceptions) because no law prohibits it.
There statement is where the law allows. If you live in Nevada the law allows open carry because the state constitution does not bar it. When a state makes anew law it isn’t to allow some thing, it is to regulate (limit) what is allowed and what isn’t. If you live in a state that doesn’t allow OC or CC, that isn’t Starbucks fault. They have to live by that states laws like everyone else until someone gets in office and fixes the limiting law. I am sure that in New York they don’t look forward to having someone breaking their crapy law there, whether they agree with them or not.
Their statement is typical and no nonsense. It says that if open carry is legal then they have no problem with it. I think you just need to understand how law works. So long as there is no law AGAINST something that means that it is legal. You don’t need to be expressly granted something as a privilege for it to be legal.
Yes, well we live in a time where that which isn’t strictly allowed is generally prohibited. The philosophical difference between Peace Officers and Law Enforcement Officers, or between liberty and security.
I’ve got a $2.00 bill ready to go…
I’ll spend my two bucks at Dunkin Donuts because they make better coffee.
You know, I’ve had Dunkin Donuts coffee, and you know what? It’s coffee. Meh.
Who gets drip coffee these day anyway?
Agreed. But I’ll spend $4 on your behalf anyway.
Way to be “that guy”
I’m not a fan of Starbuck’s coffee (I love folgers from a Mr Coffee, and roasted coffee just isn’t my preference).
However, Joe, this isn’t about coffee preference. This is about gun rights and saying thank you to a company I frankly didn’t expect this from.
I’ll probably buy one of their other products, like those old school donuts.
All coffee is roasted, to some degree or other.
My local Dunkin Donuts has a No Firearms sign, so they can pound sand.
I’ll get a second vanilla bean frappucino. Heart attack in a glass but damn it’s good!
Green Tea Latte, mmmmmmmmmm
I received the exact same response from them.
The canned (but good) response reminded me of the bs response I got from Toys R Us. Good thing, b/c I need to get a gift for a baby shower and the couple is registered at Babies R Us, so I was going to get them something from there having forgotten their victim disarmament policy.
The TRU near me was posted for awhile, but hasn’t been for several months. Another that is somewhat local has been posted every time I’ve been near it in the last six months.
I don’t know why one is no longer posted, but it may well have something to do with the area — the mall across the street from it was posted for a time too, but hasn’t been for at least the last two years or so.
The TRU in my town is posted, but since this is Minnesota it doesn’t matter; I’ve never been asked to leave.
Alright, I’m in. I don’t really care for Starbucks product but I’ll be there those three days. I’ve added a post and a link to this article on my own site so if everyone could do the same we could really get the word out.
That’s as may be, but you’re gonna need more than one to visit FourBucks.
Me, I’m not interested in their product at their price.
That’s where I’m at on the issue. I’m pleased they’re not anti-gun and more power to them, but for the price of one cup of coffee I can make many, many pots of coffee at home that are nearly as good.
But you’re not willing to buy a pastry to support a company that publicly supports you when so many others go out of their way to be hostile?
Where do I get a $2 bill now days? The last I received was in change from Thomas Jefferson’s home Monticello. Entry Price was $8.00 and the change was given in $2 bills. I will check with my bank, but last I seen they only have those goofy $1 coins that no one wants.
I picked up 18 of them from my local bank branch; The teller told me that some of their customers like to use them for leaving gratuities at restaurants.
Hopefully the $2 bills are only used when at waffle house eating alone. I’d be pissed if I got a $2 tip waiting tables in college.
Like other denominations, two dollar bills may both be spent in quantities larger than one on at a time and they may also be used in conjunction with other denominations to leave a gratuity.
I can’t imagine why you would think that use of a Tom necessitates using it alone.
Agreed… I leave a $2 bill _in addition_ to what I judge to be a reasonable tip at fine dining establishments. If I were to leave $30, for instance, I put a $2 bill alongside the “Hamilton” and “Jackson” if but for no other reason than to show the best-looking flipside of any American currency… the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Sure beats the “old” backside… Jefferson’s Monticello. $2 bills are readily available in most banks… just ask for them. They also make great “tips” for roadside lemonade or cookie stands run by kids (hint). I always tell the kids to ask their parents what event is depicted on the flipside of the bill, or who is depicted on the front of the bill. It’s a history lesson in miniature!!!! cheers, chuck
I wish I was in one of those open carry states so I could walk in carrying my XD. One thing this great state of Texas needs to work on.
I was very surprised to learn that texas wasn’t an open carry state. Alabama surprised me too when I found out that they’re the only non-commie state that’s still may issue (along with NY, NJ etc)
It’s effectively shall-issue though, as pretty much no sheriff these days denies a permit for anything other than the legal standards anymore.
Even the People’s Republic of Connecticut operates as a de facto shall issue, even though the law is “may”. When my application took a couple of weeks longer than estimated I was all ready to get on my high horse, but they were really apologetic, and basically said that they had been swamped for the last 3 years (hmm) and were really doing their best. And I got it 4 days later.
I received the exact same email response after I send an encouraging note to Starbucks.
I went to Bucky’s the other night and asked if they heard of the impending boycott.
Their response?
“Who is it this time?”
I haven’t spent a cent at Starbucks since 9/11 and their shameful rip off of the firefighters and police and then their pathetic response to the outrage.
Much as I appreciate their support for the 2nd Amendment, I’ll pass.
Orion
I have another problem with Starbuck’s. They just announced yesterday that they are supporting the effort to legitimize gay marriage here in the state of Washington. This effort, initiated this month by outgoing Governor Gregoire, is one of the most blatant attempts I’ve seen to keep the voting populace blinded to the ongoing budget problems that these same liberals simply fail to resolve.
My wife already ‘outlawed’ Starbuck’s going forward…
Or Gregoire could honestly support equality for gay people.
Moving on…
There already are equal rights: a gay man can mary a woman just like a straight man. A strait man may not mary a man just like a gay man can’t. If that aint equal your logic is f-ed.
Just like a white man could have married a white woman and a black man could have married a black woman before Loving v. Virginia?
Nice try.
So if male/female is irrelevant and gay/straight is irrelevant because it’s a civil rights issue, I’d like to know who the morons are who attach arbitrary importance to the number 2, or to whether “love” is involved.
Why five people who want the economic benefit of marriage shouldn’t be able to do so, I can’t imagine — once we’ve opened the doors to holding male/female gay/straight conventions in contempt.
“Yeah, but the’re just conventions. We have to give people their rights.” Yeah, and that means dispensing with arbitrary bigoted preferences for the number 2, or imagining that the state has any business talking about what should be allowed if people “love” each other — as if defining love is the state’s business.
If you open the door, you either open it all the way or become guilty of the bigotry you imagine others are guilty of.
2 is not a magic, self-evident, just number. That is, it’s no more obviously proper than that marriage should be between a man and a woman. If the latter is deemed arbitrary, so is the number 2.
You know, if we’re going to get “traditional” here, the definition of marriage would be “one man and as many women as he can afford”. In the case of Solomon, that was 700. So the definition of marriage has already been a bit fluid over the years, to say the least.
Big difference. Virginia back then to a black+white couple: “Do this, and we’ll put you in jail for 25 years.” Most states to XY+XY or XX+XX couple: “Do this, and we won’t take notice either for or against.”
I’m actually in favor of gay marriage- dealing with cases where both people in divorce court are of the same gender might lead to some much-needed reform…
Actually, dissolution is one of the most important areas that would be cleared with marriage rights. While divorce sucks, not having any set procedures at all and having to make it all up as you go along can often be even worse. And if there’s the added side benefit of exposing biases in the way things are handled now so they can be eliminated, all the better.
I wonder if the multitude of liberal hipsters that patronize Starbucks nationwide realize that their decaf vanilla latte is gun-friendly.
Instead of wasting $2.00 at Starbucks, take that money and buy (2) .308 NATO rounds and VIOLENT THREAT DELETED. Send a clear message to Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan that you don’t tolerate theft of trillions from the working class in USA.
Check out the Two Dollar Bill Tracker Project at http://twodollarbill.net. It’s in support of the Second Amendment and allows people to track their two-dollar bills as they travel across the country. Like Where’s George but for two dollar bills!
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