Starbucks and the Second Amendment

Forget the 1^st, 5^th and 14^th; the 2^nd amendment is all the rage these days.  Case and point, even Starbucks Coffee has become part of the conversation.        

Here’s a quick history lesson before I get into how the most popular coffee chain in the world has been thrust into the middle of the much heated protests.  The second amendment has to do with the constitutional right to “keep and bear arms” but there has been so little interpretation of the ambiguous phrase (and the amendment in general) to determine whether it is an individual or collective right and the level of control that cities and states should have over their citizens.        

Currently, the Supreme Court is reviewing the case of McDonald v. Chicago over whether a Chicago citizen has the right to carry a gun in public to protect himself from the local drug gangs in his area.  As one writer noted, this case should be of great interest for Americans who believe that state, counties, and cities should have the ability to decide for themselves whether certain weapons pose an undue risk to public safety.  On a broader scale, interpreting amendments as expanding or limiting rights has always had an impact beyond the immediate issue presented.

Now onto Starbucks role in the debate.  Starbucks has a company policy of allowing customers to carry unloaded weapons into their stores. Known as the "open carry" movement, gun owners carry unconcealed handguns as they go about their everyday business.  The movement is loosely organized around the country but has been gaining traction in recent months. Gun-control advocates have been pushing to quash the movement, including by petitioning the Starbucks coffee chain to ban guns on its premises.       

In reality, it seems like Starbucks is simply complying with the laws of the state in which its stores sit rather than trying to make a political statement one way or the other.  In the 43 states where open carry is legal, Starbucks has about 4,970 company-operated stores that allow for individuals to carry their guns into their stores.  Other big businesses that allow for open carry (when applicable) include: Wal-Mart, Home Depot, Best Buy, and Barnes & Noble.

This is one debate that is sure to have a messy solution.  Like so many constitutional rights, there are valid arguments on both sides and the right to carry a gun is no exception.  In my opinion I think that the ability to protect oneself should include the ability to carry a weapon unless it is at the expense of public safety.  Perhaps there should be stricter laws and requirements to obtaining a gun but once they are met, the right should be relatively broad. 

By: Violet Petran