Coffee. It is one of life’s simple pleasures, and for an insomniac, a life source. I have spent a lot time thinking about coffee. When I will have my next one, what kind, how attractive the barista is going to be (not very if I’m making it), what kind of beans to get, why is work interfering with my coffee time, get out of my face why won’t you just shut up for five seconds OH GOD GET ME COFFEE and so on.
Following these thoughts, a recent news story had me wondering what my local cafes would have to do to get me to boycott them (besides this but mostly just for having awful coffee). For some Americans, the answer is ‘ask politely for you to not have your gun showing while buying your coffee’.
This request came from the mega-national-international-future-intergalactic coffee chain Starbucks (you may have heard of it). In a letter posted on their website, Chief Executive Howard Schultz politely requested that customers no longer ‘open carry’ while visiting Starbucks. Up to this point, store policy mimicked the laws of whichever state the store was located in. Schultz noted that this stance resulted in pro-gun activists politicising the stores and utilising them for pro-gun events. Schultz made it clear that customers would still be served as normal if they decided to ignore the request.
This seemingly benign appeal caused a backlash from gun owners, some of who threatened to boycott Starbucks, writing *thousands* of comments on any related article, and all the other normal things you would do if you were enraged that someone dared ask you nicely not to make other customers nervous by visibly carrying a deadly weapon. Some people make me nervous just holding a newspaper while we are waiting for our morning coffee.
Of course there are many reasonable people who own guns in America. However, I think we can assume none of them are in the upper echelons of the ‘Second Amendment Foundation’ organisation. The S.A.F. are joining with the not very pithily named ‘Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms’ (but don’t keep bear arms, they are beautiful animals) and ‘DefendGunRights.com’ to sponsor the hard-to-say (and comprehend) ‘Guns Save Lives Day’ to be held on December 14. The date is significant because it marks the first anniversary of the Sandy Hook shooting, one of the most horrific shootings in US history.
The day, according to the organisers, is dedicated to reminding everyone “crazy people, criminals and gun control extremists prefer unarmed victims”. Apparently they also prefer holding inappropriate rallies.
A couple of years ago, I visited a gun range in Alabama. The man behind the counter took my ID for collateral, but didn’t look at it. I was confused by the extensive gun selection, and so requested ‘the smallest one’. I chose a picture to shoot at (not one of the photographic depictions of middle-eastern men). He plonked my bullets down with the gun and earmuffs. He pointed to where I should go. Once inside, I realised I had no idea how to load a gun, even though I’ve seen a lot of Rizzoli and Isles.
On the way to get help (passing a family with two small children shooting a huge gun), I realised you literally receive more instructions when going bowling. So, I understand that our two cultures are completely different. But appreciating that it is despicable to hold a pro-gun rally on the day that people are mourning the deaths of their children should be universal.
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