Sunday, September 22, 2013

My Response to the Starbucks No-Guns-Please Letter:

Hello again, folks.  I know it's been months since I've updated.  As usual, life got in the way, and my online presence took the cut.  However, I am working to get back on track, and have several posts in the pipeline.  I figured that I'd get started by posting up my response, and the reasoning behind that response, to the now infamous letter from Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz.  That letter can be found here:

http://www.starbucks.com/blog/an-open-letter-from-howard-schultz/1268

First of all, I just want to say "Thanks a lot, idiots.  This is why we can't have nice things."  Yes, that's right.  WE caused this problem, not anti-gun people, and not Starbucks.  Frankly, it's only going to get worse going forward.  See, there is a vocal minority of the firearms community who seem to feel that they'll get their message of firearms acceptance across by blatantly shoving their right to own and carry firearms in other peoples' faces.  You see this plainly in the many, many videos on Youtube where people open carry their weapons down a neighborhood or downtown street, with someone following behind so they can record the inevitable confrontation with the Police.  Huh, you mean idiots that look for attention, end up getting it?  Gee, who'd have thought that would happen.

So, let's be sure that you have a clear understanding of what happened here.  Previously, Starbucks' position was one of neutrality.  They didn't want anything to do with the fight between pro-gun and anti-gun groups.  Pro-gun folks took this to mean that Starbucks was pro-gun, and decided to show their "support", by collectively mobbing up their local Starbucks, carrying shotguns, AR-15's, and all sorts of other silly bullshit.  This, understandably, made all the other patrons nervous.  What?  Made them nervous, huh, can't imagine why that would be, what with a shooting tragedy every other week, it seems like.  So, guess what Starbucks did?  They listened to the majority of their customers, and decided to politely release a statement requesting that people stop openly carrying firearms into their shop.  The backlash was pathetically predictable:

"Well, FUCK Starbucks then, never liked their coffee ANYway!"

"Their overpriced coffeeshop just became a freefire killzone!"

"I'll never support a company who doesn't respect my rights!"

"People who get nervous at the sight of someone carrying an AR-15 or shotgun around are SHEEP, and don't deserve the protection I would provide in case of an attack!!"

"Sorry sheeple, my RIGHTS supercede your right to feel comfortable!"

These are all actual responses taken from the comments sections of Facebook pages and gun blogs I read on a regular basis, with small changes made in wording, so as to protect the dumb fucks who were spouting this garbage.  Speaking of which, if you agree with any of the above, then frankly, you're as dumb as these people are, and guess what most of all?  You aren't helping us.

Gunowners online go on and on about our "rights".  Well, I'll start with George Carlin's segment on "Rights":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9-R8T1SuG4

Carlin's brilliance is on full display here, and he's absolutely right.  Rights can be taken away, and people can lose their freedoms they believe to be "inalienable".  The right to own firearms remains entirely due to one thing, as far as I'm concerned: the paycheck.  That's right, the paycheck.  The paychecks for Senators and Congressmen everywhere, who love getting that sweet paycheck in return for doing very little actual work.  That paycheck, those Cadillac health plans, those legions of people who do whatever they say, and alllll of the power and prestige that comes with that position. 

But right now, we retain our firearms bearing rights, because they haven't been pushed hard enough.  Make no mistake, there are more anti-gun, or gun-apathetic people out there than there are pro-gun people, and that's not going to change.  With each shooting tragedy, complete with media-fueled outrage, more people are being turned onto the idea that there's no reason you should be carrying a firearm around if you aren't a police officer, or in the Military.  Polls have been taken on various college campuses that ask questions like "Do you believe everyone should be allowed to carry firearms around?  Why or why not?" and many responses were of the  "Why do you need to have a gun?  This isn't Afghanistan!" variety.

So, what we need are calm, rational discussions on the reasons for retaining our R2BA in the national spotlight, NOT inflammatory bullshit intimidation tactics like carrying a goddamn AR-15 into a Starbucks.  That doesn't help anyone, and frankly, yes, that's exactly what it is: bullying and intimidation.  We have rights for our personal self-defense, but part of exercising those rights is the expectation that you'll use good judgement.  Carrying a long-gun into a coffee shop in an attempt to shove your rights in peoples' faces and make some political statement is not good judgement.  I mean, what do you expect to happen?  That people are going to see you standing there with your chest out, gloating look on your face, Gadsden flag tee-shirt proudly on display, AR-15 on your chest, and think to themselves "Wow....I've totally been wrong all this time, I need to stop voting anti-Second Amendment politicians into office!  I'm stopping by the gun-show on the way home, so I can get me one of those!"?  No.  They're going to think "Look at this guy, he's probably about to rob the place, I'll just go into the bathroom and dial 911.  Then, I'm never coming back, especially if this is the caliber of nutjob Starbucks allows into their establishment."  And that's really what it's about, folks.  Starbucks isn't a political entity.  It's a company.  A company is in business for one thing, to make money.  And if fewer people are coming into their stores, because jackwads are coming in with loaded AR-15s and shotguns, then Starbucks has to make decisions that protect its primary concern: its revenue source.  Period.

So, Starbucks has made a polite request, and it's one that I will honor, and easily enough, since open-carry isn't legal in my state anyway.  Oh no!!  My rights are being infringed!!  Well, I'm going to get all my gun owner friends and we're going to march on the state capital!!!  Oh wait, no I'm not.  I'll continue to conceal carry, and be glad that my state has continued to respect my Second Amendment rights.

Let me just close with this.  If we as a nation had the same rabid loyalty towards ALL of our Bill of Rights like we do the Second Amendment, this country would be completely and totally different.  You should think about that for a few minutes.

Stay safe out there.

Unnamed Prepper

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