Original Starbucks Store at Pike's Market Seattle
Gun Reform Advocates Boycott Starbucks
Seattle, Washington has been my home-base for all of this century, and Starbucks has been part of my daily routine throughout my time there.
I am especially fond of their new Clover brewing system. (The best coffee I’ve ever tasted!) With over 400 shops to choose from in the Seattle metro area I can find a Starbucks in minutes. I can even find a 24-hour location.
Coffee at Starbucks is consistently great no matter the locale or personnel.
Starbucks brags about being a Responsible Company. Over and over they back this up in visible ways, especially with youth ventures and the developing world.
In fiscal year 2011, they awarded more than 100 grants totaling $2.6 million to organizations around the world to inspire and support youth action in their local markets. Partners include America Scores, City Year, HandsOn, Jumpstart, International Youth Foundation and Youth Venture.
Starbucks™ Shared Planet™ Youth Action Grants help give youth the opportunity to make a difference by supporting their efforts to make the world a better place.
Ethos(R)™ Water started as a social venture startup with the goal of providing people in developing countries with access to clean water.
A program of the Starbucks Foundation, the Starbucks Shared Planet Youth Action Grants program is designed to help young people realize their natural potential to reinvent their local communities.
And close to my heart, Starbucks and the Starbucks Foundation created the C.O.A.S.T. Fund to assist in the recovery and revitalization of Gulf Coast communities devastated by hurricanes Rita and Katrina.
They are a leading corporation in recycling, energy conservation, water consciousness, green building and ethical sourcing.
I love Starbucks! But I will join in this boycott.
Amanda Peterson Beadle from the ThinkProgress.org at the Center for American Progress reported on Feb 14, 2012 that, “Whatever the scope of the Second Amendment may be after the Supreme Court’s decision in DC v. Heller, it unambiguously does not apply to private businesses. Nevertheless, Starbucks has been caught up in a two year fight over its permissive guns policy ever since gun advocates started meeting — with their firearms openly displayed — in California Starbucks two years ago.
Beginning Valentine’s Day 2012, gun reform advocates are renewing their push for Starbucks to change its policy. The National Gun Victim’s Action Council (NGAC) announced a Starbucks boycott until the company prevents customers from openly carrying guns in their coffee shops.
“Starbucks allowing guns to be carried in thousands of their stores significantly increases everyone’s risk of being a victim of gun violence,” said Elliot Fineman, the council’s CEO.
There is an epidemic of gun violence in the US. To put it in perspective, England reports 75 gun murders per year. England’s culture is similar to ours—they hunt, collect guns, value marksmanship; they have gangs, drugs and poverty. Our population is 5 times England’s, 300 million vs. 60 million.
If we had England’s gun laws, which are based on public safety, we could expect 5 times their gun homicides or 375 gun homicides per year. We have 12,000, over 300 times more. Why?
Because American gun laws are based on maximizing sales for the gun industry, not public safety. As a result, our gun laws are not sane.
The Fellowship of Reconciliation posted an open letter to Starbucks asking the corporation to change its policy for the sake of public safety:
Today, we ask you to take the next logical step in corporate responsibility and leadership. Join Disney, IKEA, Peets, California Pizza Kitchen, and other chains to ban handguns and other firearms in your stores. It is…a matter of providing an inclusive, supportive, and safe work environment, not only for your partners but also your customers. Now that you have made the corporate decision to sell beer and wine in your stores, the issue of public safety is heightened: guns and alcohol do not mix.
The Firearms Council countered with its own petition, calling on its supporters to thank Starbucks for “recognizing the importance of choice.”
But public support and data are on the side of the gun reform advocates. In 2010, 56 percent of people surveyed said they favored Starbucks and other businesses having strict anti-gun policies. In California, the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office warned that it is not recommended to openly carry a gun because police officers cannot quickly distinguish between an armed person who is a danger to others and “people are simply ‘exercising their rights.’” And a study in 2000 found that there is no evidence that “permissive gun carry laws” would deter criminals. “Until proven otherwise, the best science indicates that more guns will lead to more deaths,” the researchers wrote.
Mark Berman of Opposing Views wrote on Jan 23, 2012 that an anti-gun group was organizing a nationwide Valentine’s Day boycott of Starbucks over the coffee chain’s gun policy.
Starbucks does not ban guns in its stores; instead, it defers to local laws. The National Gun Victim’s Action Council (NGAC) says that amounts to a pro-gun policy that endangers customers.
“Starbucks allowing guns to be carried in thousands of their stores significantly increases everyone’s risk of being a victim of gun violence,” NGAC CEO Elliot Fineman said in a news release. “Open and conceal and carry are among the reasons there are 12,000 gun homicides each year in the U.S. If we had England’s gun laws we would expect 375 gun homicides each year—97% less than we have. England’s gun laws are based on protecting public safety, ours on maximizing sales for the gun industry.”
The Starbucks policy hit the headlines in 2010 when gun owners decided to exercise their rights at national chains. Many responded by banning guns, but Starbucks refused. At the time Starbucks explained:
“While we deeply respect the views of all our customers, Starbucks long-standing approach to this issue remains unchanged. We comply with local laws and statutes in all the communities we serve. That means 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. The political, policy and legal debates around these issues belong in the legislatures and courts, not in our stores.”
But NGAC’s Fineman said it is just a bad policy, and hopes its boycott can change it.
“Starbucks steadfast support of the NRA’s lethal pro-gun agenda damages its ‘socially conscious company’ brand,” he said.
How many guns are in the United States of America?
The FBI estimates that there are over 200 million privately-owned firearms in theUS. If you add those owned by the military, law enforcement agencies and museums, there is probably about 1 gun per person in the country.
If you want to get a rough idea of how many guns there are out there just look at how many people you see out there then multiply by a factor of estimated ownership. The last best guess was about 350,000,000 Total. That would be 1 weapon for every man woman and child. The average gun enthusiast owns several firearms which includes pistols, shotguns, and rifles of all makes and models. It is often estimated that about 1 in 4 people own any firearms and on average firearms owners own 4 guns each.
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_many_guns_are_in_the_united_states_of_America#ixzz1mXe8ydC
http://www.sportco.com/store/pc/I-Love-Guns-Coffee-c778.
http://www.commongunsense.com/2011/12/if-you-take-gun-to-starbucks.html
P O S T S C R I P T
HOPE From The National Gun Victim’s Action Council (NGAC)
The National Gun Victim’s Action Council offers sane possibilities for overcoming the grip of the gun-culture on America. The following proffers the NGAC solution to the power of the gun lobbies by attacking their fearful sponsor’s wallets.
There is an epidemic of gun violence in the US. To put it in perspective, Great Britain reports 75 gun murders per year. England’s culture is similar to ours—they hunt, collect guns, value marksmanship; they have gangs, drugs and poverty. Our population is 5 times England’s, 300 million vs. 60 million.
If we hadEngland’s gun laws, which are based on public safety, we could expect 5 times their gun homicides or 375 gun homicides per year. We have 12,000, over 300 times more. Why?
It is because American gun laws are based on maximizing sales for the gun industry, not public safety. As a result, our gun laws are not sane.
They defeat any proposed sane gun law, and work to pass insane ones. They have been very effective.
Since Brady in 1993 and the assault weapons ban in 1994 were passed, and despite Columbine, Virginia Tech, Fort Hood and Tucson, there has not been one pro-sane gun law passed at the Federal level.
In fact just the opposite occurred. The assault weapons ban was left to expire; the Tihart amendment and other pro-gun insane laws have been passed at both the Federal and State levels.
The NRA’s goal is for everyone, at all times to carry a gun—either openly or concealed. This drives gun industry sales. It is advancing unchecked.
To return sanity to our gun policies, NGAC will create an economic lever strategy. NGAC is harnessing the consumer buying power of 9 million victims (the loved ones of those who lost their lives to guns), their supporters, 5 million gun assault survivors, their supporters and many of the 100 million Americans whom polls consistently show support sane gun laws. We will prevail because our side outnumbers the NRA’s extremist side by minimally 50 to 1.
NGAC will employ the economic lever to initiate targeted boycotts. Starbucks will be first [Link] due to its ongoing refusal to change its pro-gun policy—allowing the open carry of guns in its stores.
To end the boycott will require Starbucks ban all guns from its stores—and become a major supporter of policies to reduce gun violence. Ironically, Starbucks has a company policy that bans its employees from bringing guns to work.
Starbucks has a legal right to ban guns from its stores, just as it has the legal right to require customers to wear clothes in its stores. Worth noting is that the NRA bans all guns from its corporate headquarters.
There is a major upside to Starbucks for joining our side. Many of the 14 million gun victims, gun assault survivors, their supporters and many of the 100 million people that want sane gun laws, would go out of their way to patronize Starbucks once they joined us.
Starbucks’ economic power and that of other major corporations we intend to “encourage” to join our side, far exceeds the economic power of the NRA.
Once it is known NGAC is a legitimate economic threat, specific company and State boycotts will enable the passage of sane gun laws, and the repeal of insane gun laws. Gun laws and gun policy will be based on protecting public safety, not on maximizing sales for the gun industry.
To reach boycott participants, NGAC is working with faith groups of every denomination and non-faith groups that work on gun violence reduction and victim support. NGAC has already received the commitment and support of the Episcopal Peace Fellowship, the United Church of Christ, the National Council of Churches, Fellowship of Reconciliation, and the Union for Reform Judaism.
How many guns are in your local Starbucks?
The economic lever gives us a winning strategy. The NRA understands we are a real threat, one they have never faced before. They will savagely fight us—spread disinformation, invent facts, start rumors, challenge us in every way—no matter the ethics
It is important to note that sane gun laws can simultaneously protect the Second Amendment right of the legal gun owner and the non-gun owner’s unalienable rights, as expressed in the Declaration of Independence, to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
We need financial support now—an Action Fund— to counter their attacks. You have the power to stop the NRA’s pro-gun agenda, use it. Go to our donate page and become a Supporting Member today.
Who will have the drop on whom? (Jimmy Kimmel vs Starbucks video)
