Starbucks releases statement in support of… open carry states?

Starbucks, frequently used as an illustrative point when political polarization is being attempted (i.e., “well, take your four-dollar cappa-latte and go gay marry someone in Massachusetts, you big libtard!”) surprised everyone by releasing a statement supporting the right to openly carry a weapon in its stores in states where the practice is legal.

Open carry, if you’re from a place like England or Canada that doesn’t like guns like us, is the visible inclusion of a gun with one’s daily ensemble-unlike the “under the suit jacket” or “strapped to the leg” practice known as concealed carry. So, Starbucks seems to have bucked the liberal-elitist image a bit this week with a release of the following statement:

“While we deeply respect the views of all our customers, Starbucks long-standing approach to this issue remains unchanged. We comply with local laws and statutes in all the communities we serve. In this case, 43 of the 50 U.S. states have open carry weapon laws. Where these laws don’t exist, we comply with laws that prohibit the open carrying of weapons. The political, policy and legal debates around these issues belong in the legislatures and courts, not in our stores. “

The statement has sparked a bit of interest into which states permit open carry- are people afraid of gun battles breaking out in the local Starbucks? One barista (is a male coffee jockey a “barista?” Is he a “baristo” or something?) voiced concerns to the WSJ:

…not all baristas agree that the Starbucks policy protects them. “I think the policy shows complete disregard for the safety and sentiments of their workers. The only thing worse than a yuppie upset with how their frappuccino turned out is a yuppie with a gun who’s unhappy with how their frappuccino turned out,” says Erik Forman, a Starbucks barista and union member in Minneapolis.

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