Good-bye Starbucks....!

If you're a coffee drinker you know about Starbucks - the coffeehouse chain that started in Seattle and within years has spread literally around the world.  They have great coffee and were probably the first coffeehouse to make people believe it is OK to pay upward of $4 for a single cup of coffee.  On any given day, when you need it, it's that good.  (Even though some of their lattes contain more calories than an average meal.)

I like Starbucks.  I enjoy their dark roast coffees black with no sugar.  When I can't make my own at home I prefer theirs over places like McDonalds, etc. (Although Racetrack and Pilot gas stations have pretty good coffee selections.)  They make a good product even if it's a bit expensive.

Starbucks' marketing department consists of geniuses.  Or at least they did when they first went nationwide. As I said - they got people to pay over $4 for a cup of coffee, and we still do.  That's pure marketing genius.

Being based in Seattle the next bit of information about Starbucks doesn't necessarily surprise me but it's interesting.  It's also why I will not patronize Starbucks again.

Recently, Starbucks management has announced that people carrying firearms, whether open or concealed, will not be welcome in their stores.  They will be served but at the apparent disdain or disgust of the store.  It seems Starbucks believes that law abiding citizens in possession of legal firearms should be discriminated against by their company and told not to patronize their business.  I wonder - does that include police officers?  And what's going to happen once the word gets around that Starbucks is a gun-free zone?  It won't be too long before some armed bad guy realizes that he can rob everyone in the store without armed resistance.  

Who will Starbucks call if that happens?  Why, the armed police, of course.  But wait - if armed police are unwelcome in their store what then? 

It's OK if Starbucks doesn't think people should be allowed to exercise their Second Amendment rights. They don't have to agree with that amendment but as long as it's the law they must abide by it.  Inviting people who exercise that right to get their coffee elsewhere is pretty lame if you ask me.  It's lame even if you don't ask me.  Honestly - how many incidents have their been in this country when a law-abiding citizen walked into Starbucks to get a cup of coffee, took out his gun and shot up the place?  Yeah - I didn't think so.

Since Starbucks has made it clear this is a wish for their customers and not a policy change they can avoid legal allegations of discrimination, I guess.  But that's what it is.  Starbucks is discriminating against gun owners for their own political reasons.  I have had my last grande dark roast from there.