Thursday, March 04, 2010

Strapped


Apparently, Starbucks is catching crap from the anti-gun folks because, in those states that allow open-carry of firearms, Starbucks goes along with the law. If you can strap your hog leg on and walk around with it legally, you can get your latte, no problem.

The anti-gun crowd allows as how they think Big Coffee should forbid its patrons from carrying whilst ordering java and scones in its shops -- retail places can do that, if they'd druther.

Starbucks has declined to do that.

Now, Starbucks has gotten a lot of flack for a long time, and they are expensive places to drink coffee. (Of course, if you are a coffee fan, you owe them, because before there were Starbucks, getting a good cup of coffee anywhere outside of New Orleans or a decent Turkish restaurant was iffy. Scalded dishwater paler than weak tea is not coffee, and I remember the days when that's what you could get in most cafes and diners most places. Starbucks changed that.)

I don't go there much, and never with iron showing on my hip. (Out in the woods, maybe, but I don't go openly-strapped in the city, legal or not. You can, according to a recent ruling by the Oregon Supreme Court, give a deputy the finger and it's protected free speech, but that strikes me as well past stupid. Because you can do something doesn't mean you should do it. I might just make a point of stopping by now and then to show support for their stance on this matter. Speaking as a former Volvo owner who likes brie and good wine, voted for Obama, and who also supports the Second Amendment and all ...

9 comments:

Bobbe Edmonds said...

You owned a WHAT???

Oh wait..."Volvo". My mistake.

William Adams said...

Agreed.

The Clint Eastwood photo is very cool --- reminds me of a campaign poster a friend of mine had when Mr. Eastwood ran for Mayor of Carmel. Unfortunately, the poster image doesn't show up on an image search AFAICT. Replace the six guns w/ ice cream cones and add the caption:

``Law, order and ice cream''

beneath it and you'll get the idea though.

William

Mike Byers said...

Scones and pistols: sounds like a deadly combination to me. Here in Hoosierland, we're more for glazed donuts and shotguns. Anyway, your Volvo was such a beater that it didn't count for "liberal". That sucker looked so bad it might as well have had a rebel flag painted on it.

Anonymous said...

As long as you don't eat Arugala.

Brass

jks9199 said...

Heaven forbid somewhere allow people to do what they are legally entitled to...

I'm not exactly sympathetic to the groups like Open Carry (opencarry.org I believe is the website) that pull some stupid stunts utilizing open carry laws and hoping cops screw up -- but why should a business forbid people who are legally armed to come in? After all, crooks will bring weapons in, whether or not it's legal or permitted!

Steve Perry said...

Well, the Volvo was a beater when I traded it in, but it was new when I bought it. Of course, that was before Starbucks. Only drove it seventeen years. Then the Miata, which I kept for twelve years ...

aa said...

I laughed at your statement "Well past stupid." I hope you use it in a book someday.

Shady_Grady said...

Does either California or Oregon forbid concealed carry?

Steve Perry said...

Oregon allows concealed carry with an Oregon CHL. You have to demonstrate some knowledge of firearms, either by previous experience -- being a competitive shooter, or a certificate from a shooting class.

Oregon also allows carry if you have a CHL in a state that has a reciprocity agreement.

Pretty much the same in Washington state.

California allows it, but some areas are hard to get a CCW in -- they are issued by the Sheriff or local PDs in big cities. They don't recognize any other state's licenses, last I heard.

I dunno what their open carry policy is.