Support Starbucks
By Mitch Berg
Since they’ve solved all the nation’s other problems, President Obama and his minions and the media (pardon the redundancy) are going back to liberal basics; they are beating the drums for gun control (there’s a much bigger piece on the subject coming soon).
Part of this is some renewed activity on the part of the myriad astroturf gun control “groups” – almost invariably tiny groups of addled activists – to try to push the anti-human-liberty agenda. These groups and their tiny but clout-enhanced coteries of followers – whom I affectionately call “orcs”, because they represent everything Tolkien intended with his fictional soldiers of darkness – are trying, with the full connivance of the mainstream media, to agitate for gun control, or at the very least enhanced harassment of the law-abiding gun owner.
Starbucks is in the crosshairs.
When the orcs approached some national coffee chains, they found a willing audience that was in tune with the shallow, showy, shrill politics of their most stereotypical customers – shallow, showy, shrill liberal coffee drinkers. Some national chains banned guns (in the hands of the law-abiding citizen – carry permit holders and the like) on their premises.
Starbucks held the line for liberty, enacting a policy that deferred to local laws – as any sensible business should.
For supporting the human right to self-defense, I'll say "thanks" in part by giving them a free ad on my site.
The orcs are organizing to try to boycott Starbucks.
An anti-gun group is attempting to organize a nationwide Valentine’s Day boycott of Starbucks over the coffee chain’s gun policy.
Starbucks does not ban guns in its stores; rather, it defers to local laws. The National Gun Victim’s Action Council (NGAC) says that amounts to a pro-gun policy that endangers customers.
Gun owners, and other civil rights activists, are rallying to support The Buck tomorrow. If you support civil rights, do the following:
- Go to Starbucks on Tuesday. I don’t care if the thought of spending $2 for a cup of coffee galls you – it does me too. But swallow your pride and buy a damn cup. And then…
- Tell the manager why. I never go to Starbucks. But I will – because of their principled stance. I will tell the manager to his/her face exactly why I’m supporting them. Leave a tip for the barrista, while you’re at it.
- Go to Starbucks.com, or their Facebook and Twitter pages, and tell them what you told the manager. Be polite, professional and civil; don’t get in their way; maybe just leave them a note.
Too often we gun owners – like conservatives as a whole, when social issues come up – are as quiet and unassuming as our concealed firearms. Orc groups – the NGAC, “Citizens for a “Safer” Supine Minnesota and the VIolence Policy Center make up for their dearth in numbers by making lots of noise (having a sympathetic media doesn’t hurt ’em, of course).
It’s time to speak up. And caff up.
February 13th, 2012 at 12:59 pm
Wow, I’m buying all the shares I can find. With this kind of publicity……Oh, wait, you were serious?
February 13th, 2012 at 1:19 pm
That’s right, Ears. All us peasants should just shut up and do what our media “Gatekeepers” tell us to do.
You are a valued and cogent contributor to this forum…oh, wait – am I being serious?
You’re really Sally Jo Sorenson in rhetorical drag, aren’t you?
February 13th, 2012 at 1:49 pm
Starbucks is also a vocal corporate supporter of gay “marriage”. So 50-50 at best.
While I own guns, and appreciate their stand here, I’m still buying my coffee at Holiday.
February 13th, 2012 at 2:51 pm
glad to see starbuck’s on the right side of one issue. I will continue to visit them as often as I normally do. 4 or 5 bucks for a cup of of coffee is still outrageous for me. My coffee will continue to come from the ever shrinking 3lb can.
February 13th, 2012 at 4:43 pm
As far as the war on Christmas…..Starbucks allows use of the word “Christmas” in their stores. Caribou Coffee (which I like) bans it.
So in December, I spend my coffee money at Starbucks.
February 13th, 2012 at 4:44 pm
Folks…..please do as Mitch suggests. The left is very organized and loud. Look at how they may Target cower last year. Or the Komen folks. Us normal people don’t get heard or the free media attention.
February 13th, 2012 at 5:28 pm
What Chuck said.
You don’t have to agree with everything Starbucks does, or even the thought of spending $2 for a cup of coffee (not $5; that’s like a mocha, which IS too expensive); but when someone on “the other side” takes flak for defending something we believe in, we DO need to stand up and be counted.
February 13th, 2012 at 11:58 pm
When I go into a Starbucks or Caribou I feel dirty. Besides paying too much for a cup of coffee, I always get this strange sensation that I have to ride a bus to the Walker Art Center and see something existential.
Can anyone help me?
February 14th, 2012 at 5:31 am
Like Col. Flagg, I end up buying more coffee at Holiday than I do at Starbucks or Caribou. That’s mostly because (a) there’s a Holiday station that’s on my way to the office and (b) it is about 60-70 cents cheaper. And it’s usually pretty good, too. Better than SA, at least.
Starbucks and Caribou are good, though. So is Dunn Brothers.
February 14th, 2012 at 11:38 am
I dunno, Starbucks is a little bitter to me, but today, I did buy a cup for myself and my Engineer, an avid hunter. We both told the Manager why we were there, but she seemed indifferent.
February 14th, 2012 at 2:08 pm
She may have an irrational fear of responsible, law-abiding people with guns. It’s a devistating disease. Pity her.
February 14th, 2012 at 2:32 pm
Bought my small (tall) dark roast this morning at the Highland Park store. Paid with a $2 bill, and shown them my conceal permit.
Two of the employees commented on the $2 bill and asked why I took out my conceal card. I explained. Then the gal said, “”oh, yah, I saw a memo about about that. Today is the day, huh? Our policy is that we abide by the laws in place at each store location”.
February 14th, 2012 at 4:22 pm
After thinking about this noble stance by taken by Starbucks, I found it something very ironic. Starbucks, headquartered in a state that is more liberal than MN, (eerily like MN in that George Soros and fraudulent votes also got a left wingnut elected Governer, but I digress) has that mindset, when two other chains (Caribou and Dunn Bros), headquartered here in the home of huntin’ and fishin’ ban guns.
February 14th, 2012 at 4:23 pm
Doh! Governor!
February 14th, 2012 at 6:00 pm
Keep in mind, Boss, that Caribou is owned by a muslim sovereign wealth fund. Wouldn’t want the marks to be able to shoot back if some jihadi showed up, now would we.