Friday, September 20, 2013

Starbucks Should Stick to Coffee and Leave Guns Alone

We all mourn the events at Washington's Navy Yard on Monday that left 13 people dead, but knee-jerk reactions like that of Starbucks are not effective.

After three years of allowing gun owners to celebrate Starbucks Appreciation Day, openly carrying their guns inside stores located in states with "open carry" laws, Starbucks abruptly reversed its position. Inan "open letter" from Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz, the company said it will not forbid guns in its stores, but will "respectful[ly] request that customers no longer bring firearms into our stores or outdoor seating areas". In other words, gun owners aren't all that welcome any more and may one day be banned.
Gun owners had developed an affinity for Starbucks, with some fans creating a modified version of the Starbucks logo that says "I love guns and coffee". For years, Starbucks has apparently looked the other way at the popular logo, which spread to T-shirts and coffee mugs. Gun owners organized the annual Starbucks Appreciation Day in order to reward the company with more business and publicity. The most recent event took place on 9 August.
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