Guns. Religion. Abortion. These are the no-win arguments that spoil family gatherings — and the stuff of retailers’ nightmares.
Starbucks has found itself in the middle of just such an argument as its stores became forums for demonstrations by both pro-gun and gun-control advocates. All for a firearm policy that
hasn’t changed and is the same as most retailers’: follow the local law. If it’s legal to carry a firearm in town, it’s allowed in the stores.
In recent months, the “open-carry” arm of the gun-rights movement, which advocates that gun owners carry visible weapons as they go about their daily business, have been exercising their
rights. They’ve been proudly displaying their sidearms in public places, sometimes meeting up in groups.
Starbucks’ association with a politically liberal, “latte sipper” ethos, made it a tempting target for gun-control advocates. The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence attracted more than 26,000 signatures demanding that Starbucks “offer espresso
shots, not gunshots.”
Starbucks’ response? It reiterated its policy of following state and local laws and politely asked everyone to leave it out of the debate.
It’s frightful territory for a business, which risks alienating customers and losing sales by taking sides on such emotional debates.
