From Right Pundits

Lady Libertas, Thursday 4 March, 2010

————————-

Lady Libertas is giving three cheers for Starbucks … and not just because of their caramel macchiatos. Starbucks recently landed in the middle of a Second Amendment style controversy between the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence and OpenCarry.org.

The OpenCarry.org folks were exercising their Second Amendment rights and complying with state law by wearing their guns on their hips, openly, when attending their meetings at local Starbucks in the California Bay area. The Brady Campaign took offense and delivered a petition with 28,000 names to Starbucks headquarters in Seattle to pressure Starbucks to ban guns in all of their stores. The Brady Campaign had success in getting gun bans in place at Peet’s Coffee and California Pizza Kitchen by applying similar tactics. Starbucks, however, did not fall into line with the Brady Campaign.

Starbucks has asked “all interested parties to refrain from putting Starbucks or our partners into the middle of this divisive issue.” Starbucks continued, saying, its “long-standing approach to this issue remains unchanged,” and that it complies with “local laws and statutes in all the communities we serve.”

Lady Libertas is perpetually baffled by those on the left of the gun issue are unable to use common sense discrimination to tell the difference between a lawful citizen who has a gun holstered on their hip and is perhaps sipping their latte and the “gangstah” entering a store, brandishing a weapon and demanding all the money from a cash register. Indeed. It can be difficult to make a decision as to who the “bad guy” is.

OpenCarry.org used to hold their meetings at Peet’s Coffee until Peet’s banned all guns. They moved to Starbucks and the Brady Campaign followed them to drag Starbucks smack dab into their created controversy. The Brady campaign released the following as part of their own statement:

“The fact is that the open display of firearms in public places is inherently threatening and intimidating, and poses risks to those nearby, to law enforcement and to the community,” wrote Paul Helmke, president of the group. “When ‘open carrying’ of guns occurs in retail stores, other customers understandably become alarmed and the police often are called to the scene, creating a volatile and potentially dangerous situation.”

Lady Libertas is alarmed that the Brady Campaign seems more concerned with law-abiding citizens than those causing murder and mayhem in the streets with illegal weapons. A dangerous situation could also be counted as an armed intruder braking into a home that has no means of defense. The criminals will always have the guns – legal or not.

Dueling signs were apparent in Seattle as both sides sent representatives to the release of the statement by Starbucks; “Espresso Shots Not Shotguns” and “Gun Control Kills”.

OpenCarry.org Co-Founder, John Pierce, said that retailers do have the right to refuse entry to patrons carrying guns and their members support that right: “private-property rights are coexistent with [gun] rights. Ultimately, market forces will prevail.”

Frankly, Lady Libertas would not mind sipping a cappuccino with the OpenCarry.org folks at the next table. The people who exercise the Second Amendment are rarely the people who cause harm – they would be the law-abiding gun owners that those on the left seem to be hysterically unaware of. Lady Libertas happily supports Starbucks for not caving into the demands of the Brady Campaign – phew! What would I do without my Breakfast Blend?