Make Valentines Day a Starbucks kind of day

It seems one of the endless number hoplophobic groups of anti-gun bigots is proposing to hijack Valentines Day to boycott Starbucks for not discriminating against law-abiding gun-owning customers and shoving them to the back of, if not entirely off, the bus.

I propose a rather different message - rather than a message of resentment, bigotry and hatred of those more petite, less able, more fragile or simply older'n'slower that have the temerity to attempt to make realistic provision for defending themselves against the two and four legged predators of the world - I suggest a buycott.

A buycott of gratitude, where we go out of our way to spend at Starbucks as enthusiastically as we can - by preference open carrying where legal and practical, concealed carry where it's not, and for those desperate lands of greater and lesser Mordor where carry is not an option for the average peon (for surely they cannot be citizens in such a land) simply spending - but in all cases making a point of thanking counter staff for their corporations stand against bigotry and discrimination against law abiding persons.

Gratitude for the Starbucks policy of corporate courage that states:

While we deeply respect the views of all our customers, Starbucks long-standing approach to this issue remains unchanged. We comply with local laws and statutes in all the communities we serve. That means we abide by the laws that permit open carry in 43 U.S. states. Where these laws don’t exist, openly carrying weapons in our stores is prohibited. The political, policy and legal debates around these issues belong in the legislatures and courts, not in our stores.

On Tuesday the 14th of February 2012, I propose that wherever possible gun folks gather together at a nearby Starbucks and *spend* - buy a coffee, a latte, a pound of coffee, or a dozen coffee makers. It's up to you (and your wallet) to decide what you can afford - but each dime you spend will be a message of gratitude (and market presence of the pro2a crowd) to Starbucks.

I'm going to try and be at the Bellevue Courtyard Starbucks (11010 NE 8th St
Bellevue, WA 98004) at noon on the 14th for a quad mocha and maybe some whole bean coffee.

Where will you be? Take and post a pic, and don't forget Facebook....