Starbucks and StarBangs?
Poppy Harlow and James O'Toole of CNN describe Starbuck's CEO Howard Schultz' message of "no guns" in buildings of the highly popular coffee business. In "Starbucks to Customers: Please Don't Bring Your Guns," CNN writers propose yet another red flag example of a highly controversial topic. The critical question is why would anyone want to risk the safety of customers by even asking do-gooders not to bring their weapons, when even these weapons can be used in defense.
The secret behind the story is that the "Newtown Coalition for Corporate Responsibility" may have been the driving force behind this potentially weak willed CEO's major statement. Newtown, as many of us know, was the site of a mass shooting within the Sandy Hook Elementary School. Ever since the shooting, activists have been calling for gun bans in all sorts of establishments, from parks, cities, public transportation and apparently even coffee houses.
Schultz believes that guns "should not be part of the Starbucks experience." Carrying a gun has little more effect than a cellphone or a laptop being brought in. Firearms are tools; they are not waved about but rather only used when necessary. In example, a man could walk in with a small subtle armament tacked on his belt. He buys his coffee, perhaps decides to stay and drink it or leave. Having a gun on your hip doesn't effect anyone around you unless it must be used or even shown.
Schultz doesn't want to put customers in the situation of "having to confront somebody who's carrying a weapon." For all we know, our preachers could have a Colt .45 under their Sunday morning suits. These are the good owners. The bad gun-wielding folk will do what they please. I'm not sure why the baddies would go into one of the most expensive coffee houses to steal a $10 8 oz. coffee but if they were to do so, they might just pull out their piece. If the rule-following, do-good gun owners aren't allowed to carry, who's going to have control of the situation? That's right, the bad one will be in control.
As previously mentioned, all of the shock of gun bans in varying locations could very well be related purely to the Sandy Hook incident. This incident could be used as a perfect example of my point. Of course it was terrible, and we all wish it hadn't happened, but it did. Even more so outraging, it could have been stopped much quicker if more people on site had concealed firearms. Now that it did happened, government and activists alike encourage the same fallacy that was made that cause the lack of prevention of the Newtown shooting.
What is America thinking? Do people not realize that wisdom is found in learning from one's mistakes? We've made the mistake of limiting Second Amendment rights, now we need to allow America to protect themselves.
