Forget
the 1st, 5th and 14th; the 2nd
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
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
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