Starbucks Sticks to Its Guns on Firearms

(AP)  Coffee chain Starbucks Corp. is sticking to its policy of letting customers carry guns where it's legal and said it does not want to be put in the middle of a larger gun-control debate.

The company's statement, issued Wednesday, stems from recent campaign by some gun owners, who have walked into Starbucks and other businesses to test state laws that allow gun owners to carry weapons openly in public places. Gun control advocates have protested.

The fight began heating up in January in Northern California and has since spread to other states and other companies, bolstered by the pro-gun group OpenCarry.org.

Some of the events were spontaneous, with just one or two gun owners walking into a store. Others were organized parades of dozens of gun owners walking into restaurants with their firearms proudly at their sides.

Now, gun control advocates are protesting the policy. The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, launched a petition drive demanding that the company "offer espresso shots, not gunshots" and declare its coffeehouses "gun-free zones." And Wednesday, that group planned a press conference near Seattle's Pike Place Market, where the first Starbucks cafe opened.

Businesses can choose to ban guns from their premises. And Starbucks said Wednesday that it complies with local laws in the 43 states that have open-carry weapon laws.

"Were we to adopt a policy different from local laws allowing open carry, we would be forced to require our partners to ask law abiding customers to leave our stores, putting our partners in an unfair and potentially unsafe position," the company said in its statement.

It said security measures are in place for any "threatening situation" that might occur in stores.

Starbucks asked both gun enthusiasts and gun-control advocates "to refrain from putting Starbucks or our partners into the middle of this divisive issue."

• Quick Poll

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Starbucks shares rose a penny to $23.34 in midday trading Wednesday.

[ForumSurfer]

Hooray for Starbucks! They decided to stick to local ordinances. I sincerely hope that Starbuck's decision to remain neutral in the gun debate is respected by both pro and anti camps. There is nothing pro-gun or anti-gun in the decision to obey local laws.

I'm glad they didn't cave into the Brady campaign's fear mongering tactics. If any group doesn't like the local laws, then go talk to a government official instead of pressuring a reputable company through the news media and protests.

[nomealaska]

Guns are tools, so carry one if you need to. If you don't have a need or are just compensating, then leave it at home under your pillow. Most people I know have more guns than they could ever use, but they do use many of them regularly for hunting or bear protection. Kids around here start hunting parky squirrels, but many have killed polar bear, seal or caribou before they are ten. You "civilized" city people are always trying to decide what is best for everyone. Relax and enjoy life! Move to the country, and feel the freedom! I can walk, snowmobile, bike or whatever I want to work everyday. Many of you have no idea what freedom feels like, so you won't miss it.....

[gwjackie]

Starbucks did not make the laws don't blame them.

[Wolf1944]

But Starbucks does set its own policies.

[steeepe]

They have the right to refuse service to anyone. You can't go in barefoot, but you can walk in with a loaded gun? Give me a break!

[bytheway59]

i choose not to spend my money, where guns are allowed.

[deb3horse]

Tells me where I will be buying my coffee. Starbucks welcomes my business and the business of my 6000 concealed carry holders I have trained in Bowling Green Kentucky. yeah Starbucks!!!

[ForumSurfer]

That really limits your available businesses. The overwhelming majority of businesses abide by local laws, which means concealed carry or open carry is legal in many areas. I choose to spend my money in businesses that abide by local laws without shoving their political biases down my throat.

[steeepe]

I think that these people who think they need to carry handguns around have small "equipment" and are paranoid and insecure.

[maverick537]

Gee, how mature, I thought I left Jr High in the 80's

By the way, my wife owns a gun, so were does your theory fit that?

[steeepe]

If she needs to take her gun into Starbucks, she's probably paranoid and insecure. Hey, I like rifles for hunting and target shooting and believe that people should be able to own guns for self defense, but Starbucks? Come on....

[mtfern]

Our feedoms are great but common sense has to step in at some point. We always seem to go too far one way or the other. We seem to have lost "common sense" when making decisions because we all are too busy trying to prove "our point" to the other side. We have a lot of good laws but then we take them to the extreme.

[Wolf1944]

If you turn Americans loose with a principle, they sometimes go ape.

Consider: abortion becomes legal. A doctor performs an abortion, but the baby lives. The doctor goes right ahead and kills it and doesn't get in any trouble. We should have drawn a line there.

We also should have drawn a line on guns. If the 2nd Amendment fundamentalists get their way, we'll be living in a nightmare version of the Wild West--with much more powerful guns.

[czhnder]

We already got our way--40 states have right-to-carry laws, over two million citizens are walking around every day with weapons concealed on their persons and I don't see your nightmare...

[czhnder]

However, there are over two million law-abiding citizens who carry concealed all around the country every day. More in the last year than in our history. Wonder how many armed crooks will walk into a Starbucks and try to hold them up?

[laxboy10]

Why do people need to carry guns with them? I wouldnt want young kids to be in a room with guns

[czhnder]

Why? Are you scared?

[maverick537]

I want to be able to carry mine to protect my kids from the bad gys that don't care about the laws who carry guns... If you think a gun free zone makes them safe ask the victims of Va tech how well the gun free zone protected them. I don't want to carry because I want to harm someone, I want to carry because someone would want to harm me.

[tryhonesty]

A class act is licensed and carries concealed (responsible). The rest of you need to stay home, that means you Barney!

[Solarrays247]

by tryhonesty March 3, 2010 10:07 PM EST
A class act is licensed and carries concealed (responsible). The rest of you need to stay home, that means you Barney!
******************************************************************

"A class act is licensed and carries concealed(responsible)", and is quite secure in his masculinity with nothing else to prove!
;=)

[MKEgal]

"A class act is licensed and carries concealed"

In my state, there is no license to carry, and no provision for concealed carry (unless you're a LEO). So I can either go unprotected or carry openly. I choose to be able to defend myself.

[dwilson59]

Listen if you need to carry a gun get a license to carry. I carry every day and no one would know if I was. If your going to carry practice 2 times a month. I shoot more then most Officers. If your going to carry you have to make a decision. If your threatened will you pull the trigger? If yes then carry a gun, if not don't.