A call to Starbucks to ban guns from its stores

Today, Valentine’s Day, marks the one-year anniversary of a boycott of Starbucks called by the Fellowship of Reconciliation, the National Gun Victims Action Council, and the Episcopal Peace Fellowship for the company’s refusal to ban firearms from its stores.

Last year, our coalition challenged Starbucks to live up to its reputation as a socially-conscious corporation by banning guns in its thousands of cafes and establishments — just as is does in its corporate headquarters — and to take leadership with other corporations for safety in the public square. Yet its policy remains unchanged, despite a tragic year marked by numerous examples of the horrifying outcomes of gun violence.

So today, with President Obama and other political leaders debating the prospects for gun control legislation at federal and state levels, we have issued another open letter to Starbucks to encourage the company to take leadership on this pressing social issue. It is being hand-delivered to the C.E.O. of Starbucks this week. Here’s the opening paragraph:

Dear Mr. Schultz:

On January 19, 2013, U.S. gun lovers celebrated their passion for firearms and anger at gun law proposals by striding into public and private establisihments with lethal weapons. “Gun Appreciation Day” harkened back to last Valentine’s Day when thousands of NRA-supporting gun owners similarly visited your stores to say “Thank you, Starbucks” for welcoming handguns and other firearms onto your premises.”

Download and read the rest of the open letter (PDF format) issued by FOR, NGAC, and EPF through this web page, and join us today in calling on Starbucks to make its stores gun-free zones.

[Photo: Elvert Barnes/ Creative Commons license.]