Wednesday, September 18, 2013

My thoughts on starbucks blog post

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

QUOTE

An Open Letter from Howard Schultz, ceo of Starbucks Coffee Company

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.

We appreciate that there is a highly sensitive balance of rights and responsibilities 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 should be addressed by government and law enforcement—not by Starbucks and our store partners.

Recently, however, we’ve seen the “open carry” debate become increasingly uncivil and, in some cases, even threatening. Pro-gun activists have used our stores as a political stage for media events misleadingly called “Starbucks Appreciation Days” that disingenuously portray Starbucks as a champion of “open carry.” To be clear: we do not want these events in our stores. Some anti-gun activists have also played a role in ratcheting up the rhetoric and friction, 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 a weapon in our stores is unsettling and upsetting 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
END QUOTE

"a respectful request that customers no longer bring firearms into our stores or outdoor seating areas." makes me feel that he wants all gun owners out, not just open carry

"a safe and comfortable respite from the concerns of daily life" I am safer when I carry

"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" again i feel unwelcome even as a concealer

"First, this is a request and not an outright ban" lazy - don't ask baristas to enforce, but comply with local laws about notices. reasoning: if in TX i do not see a sign on the door, the required one, i would not even think my gun was unwelcome, and if the baristas also say nothing i will have NO IDEA this blog post existed and i am against the companies wishes.  Either go through the work of putting up signs - and the cops can enforce if desired not the baristas, or continue to comply with local laws like most businesses do day to day. you are doing nothing different than most stores do day to day. until this blog post.

"For those who champion “open carry,” please respect that Starbucks stores are places where everyone should feel relaxed and comfortable." See above points about lack of legally required signs means most people will have no idea that the store is anti-carry and too lazy to do the legal work.

"The presence of a weapon in our stores is unsettling and upsetting for many of our customers." personal aside this annoys me, how many people see cops carrying all the time? guns are not scary and time we brought gun education back into schools.
http://bearingarms.com/top-8-fallacies-told-about-the-navy-yard-shooting/ Top 8 fallacies told about the Navy Yard Shooting

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Yes, Professor, The Founders would have wanted us to have RPGs and assault rifles http://bearingarms.com/yes-professor-the-founders-would-have-wanted-us-to-have-rpgs-and-assault-rifles/