Brady Bunch Takes Aim at Starbucks

[Terry_P]

http://www.examiner.com/x-4525-Seatt...-cup-of-coffee

The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence has declared war on a Northwest institution, and in the process perhaps the public will discover the extremes gun prohibitionists will go in an effort to push their radical agenda.

The Brady Bunch has Starbucks squarely in its crosshairs, hoping to browbeat the coffee giant into refusing service to an evidently growing clientele of law-abiding firearms owners. In an e-mail message sent out this week, Brady Campaign President Paul Helmke laments that, “Starbucks is refusing to prohibit open carrying in its stores, despite protests from loyal customers."

Over the past few months, more and more gun owners have been gathering at restaurants and coffee shops like Starbucks with guns strapped to their hips--Paul Helmke

This was after Helmke acknowledged that his campaign of social bigotry against legally-armed citizens was launched because, “Over the past few months, more and more gun owners have been gathering at restaurants and coffee shops like Starbucks with guns strapped to their hips, intimidating fellow patrons.”
So, let me see if I have this straight. Because Starbucks is attracting increasing numbers of gun owners – presumably becoming the kind of loyal customers about whom Helmke writes – he wants the coffee chain to ban these people, in deference to his own ilk of hoplophobes.
In reaction, even more gun owners are declaring a sudden thirst for Starbucks blend and heading to their local coffee stand.
Is this not the same kind of nonsense I wrote about here last Friday, in reporting the angst demonstrated by Washington CeaseFire’s Ralph Fascitelli over the perfectly legal appearance at a public hearing in Olympia by several open carry activists?
The Brady camp has teamed up with CREDO Action, a self-proclaimed progressive activist organization that uses mobile phones to affect social change.
Helmke’s e-mail diatribe further complains that, “The practice of packing heat in places like Starbucks is intimidating and could be potentially dangerous to our families and communities -- and it must be stopped.
“It’s everyone's right to sit in a restaurant or coffee shop with their families without intimidation or fear of guns,” he says, “either concealed or openly carried.”
Intimidating to whom? This may come as a culture shock to Helmke, but it is equally everyone’s right – if they choose to exercise it – to sit in a restaurant with family or friends and not be concerned (because they are prepared) about criminal attack, or an incident on the scale of the Luby’s Massacre in October 1991, in which 23 restaurant patrons, disarmed at the time by Texas statute, were murdered. It might just be that Americans took a lesson from another incident two months later at a Shoney’s restaurant in Anniston, Alabama, in which a legally-armed citizen prevented a massacre by shooting two robbers who were herding people into a food locker.
I wrote about this incident with Alan Gottlieb in America Fights Back: Armed Self-Defense in a Violent Age.

Thomas Terry, the hero of Anniston, was discreetly but legally carrying a .45 caliber handgun when the robbers took over the restaurant. Facing two armed thugs, Terry shot one dead and severely wounded the other. None of the other patrons was harmed, other than Terry, who sustained a grazing wound to the hip.—Timothy Wheeler, MD

Helmke also argues that “Under the law, Starbucks has the right to adopt a gun-free policy, with an exception for uniformed police officers.”
Guess what, Paul. Starbucks also has the right as a business to allow patronage by anyone it damn well pleases, including legally-armed citizens. Their money is just as good as yours, and so far, there has not been a single reported incident involving any of these gun owners, including the robbery of a Starbucks while an armed citizen happens to be standing at the counter.
Social bigotry against gun owners is just as insidious as bigotry against any other group. What would the public reaction be if someone demanded that a private business refuse service to, say African-Americans, Hispanics, Asians, Jews, Arabs, Native Americans, Samoans, disabled people, overweight people, gays or women? Got a tattoo? Stay out!
Helmke rants about intimidation, yet he has no reservations about trying to intimidate a business over some of the people it serves. His kind of demagoguery has one significant trait: Hypocrisy.
If Helmke and other gun prohibitionists don’t want to be around other citizens because they are legally armed, that is a problem, but it is their problem. Perhaps they should start drinking tea.

[pinecone70]

Helmke should have his first amendment rights removed, see how he feels about that....

[wpage]

Starbucks=overprice joe...
Boycott em

[pinecone70]

Heck, I'm more likely to go to Starbucks now.

[hogger129]

What they don't realize is that there are also loyal clientele that are firearms owners. That's the thing about the anti-gun/leftists. They only see things their way and lack the mental capacity to look at it from anyone else's point of view.

And why would Starbucks want to refuse service to anyone, let alone firearms owners? It would be a very stupid business move because refusing service to a large group of people would cut into your profits.

[pinecone70]

“It’s everyone's right to sit in a restaurant or coffee shop with their families without intimidation or fear of guns,” he says, “either concealed or openly carried.”

How on earth would anybody KNOW? I carry my firearm practically everywhere and no one knows I have it. Starbucks exercises the right to allow firearms too. Why try to bully them over a couple of liberal customer complaints?? This is ridiculous.

[wpage]

It is ridiculous. How would anyone know who carries...
The Brady bunch needs to get over themselves.

[bcj1755]

I really wish Sarah and her zombie/lemming followers would grow a brainstem and shut their festering cakeholes. Has the Brady Bunch EVER done anything USEFUL?

[Trouble 45-70]

Wont go to Starbucks. Don't like their coffee. Now Community Coffee, that's another matter.

Have a permit but so far haven't exercised the right. Very peaceable around here but I have seen that change abruptly where I used to live.

The Brady bunch are afraid they may get shot in a crossfire. Kind of like Luby's. Oh that's right. There was no crossfire. Only victims. Too bad the Brady bunch don't have identifiers so those who carry would know not to come to their rescue if they were seen being slaughtered robbed etc. It would be a real shame to get shot protecting one of them.

[petesusn]

Originally Posted by pinecone70

Helmke should have his first amendment rights removed, see how he feels about that....

Oh yea...

[Bobitis]

The man is a dolt. He's as bad as the last mayor and the current one.

Washington is an open carry state.
The police know it, and the court system has upheld it.

Starbucks chooses to allow it.

End of story.

[jack404]

So a private company sides with the constitution
goes against a politician of dubious nature and foundational issues and is declared war on with public funds and air time?

to try to disuade them the company) from allowing the companies customers thier constitutional rights?

now when the communist party in 1947 tryed a similar thiung did not those people get locked up for attempting to deny US citizens thier constitutional rights and Conspiring to deny Constitutional rights ??

whats the difference ?

plus they are using taxpayers money to do so . ( they get paid by tax payers and so are on the taxpayers dime when they do this)

i'd call for a revocation od status, misappropration of funds and criminal charges of deny and conspiracy to deny people thier rights under the law and see how far it goes

this may be a good thing if it shows these type of anti gun nutters they had better watch out ..

[walien]

Starbucks=overprice joe...

Naw, the price of a Starbucks drip coffee is actually less than the price of a Dunkin' Donuts coffee. Just because they do sell $4 coffees, that doesn't mean that it is all they sell. I can get a decent sized healthy breakfast there for reasonably cheap on the go. A lot better and better tasting than McSodium.

I'm sort of lost on that article. Starbucks is green, not blue or red. I'm in their stores a few times a week. There's nothing posted anywhere about not allowing guns in the door. I don't think they want to piss off half of the buying public.

[papawed]

I had switched from Starbucks to Dunkin Doughnuts. I may go back, and carry "less concealed" occaisionally.

Way to go Starbucks!

[dge479]

I hate coffee, but may go to Starbucks nw for hot chocolate, as long as they dont bow down to these creeps

[walien]

FYI...

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/htm...arbucks01.html

Article about this today in the Seattle Times. Given that they don't serve alcohol, they seem to be taking the right approach by leaving it to the state to deal with issues of open carry.

[TheGunClinger]

Just to educate me, does the term "Former Guest" mean "Banned"?

[pinecone70]

Yes, I believe it does!

[Old Grump]

Never had a Starbucks, I am a brew it hot, black and strong guy. When I let go of my spoon it should tip over slowly but if I ever get to a big city again and they have a Starbucks I'll buy a cup just to show support.

I have no problem with the anti's protesting though. Not as long as they give up the first amendment rights that our 2nd amendment guys bought for them.

[CampingJosh]

Originally Posted by TheGunClinger

Just to educate me, does the term "Former Guest" mean "Banned"?

There may be other ways to get that title, but getting oneself banned is the most common.

[TheGunClinger]

Originally Posted by CampingJosh

There may be other ways to get that title, but getting oneself banned is the most common.

I'll drink a Starbucks to that! Dont think I will try to opencarry just yet.