Episcopal Peace Fellowship joins Valentine's Day Starbucks boycott

Posted Feb 14, 2012

[Episcopal Peace Fellowship] Buttressing its commitment to non-violence, the Episcopal Peace Fellowship (EPF) is joining with gun victim groups both faith-based and secular to launch a boycott of Starbucks coffee shops on Valentine’s Day.

“While states have rightfully forbidden weapons inside taverns for decades, Starbucks is alone among major retail outlets in allowing customers to bring their gun(s) – open or concealed – into its coffee shops,” said the Rev. Jackie Lynn, EPF executive director. “We know guns and alcohol don’t mix. Why allow guns and caffeine? We stand with the National Gun Victims Action Council, the Fellowship of Reconciliation and many other groups working to reduce gun violence in the United States,” she added.

More details at http://epfnational.org/uncategorized/boycott-of-starbucks-to-launch-on-valentines-day-end-open-carry-gun-policy/

The multi-faith and secular boycott will continue until Starbucks forbids weapons in their coffee shops noted now for a mellow ambiance within a favorite meet-up spot and casual web-surfing without the fear of saying the wrong thing to someone packing a Glock pistol who is at a neighboring table and finishing her third espresso, the Rev. Lynn said.

Despite numerous pleas to ban weapons in Starbucks, the iconic Seattle-based coffee giant upholds the National Rifle Association’s (NRA) pro-gun agenda that was stymied most recently by a U.S. federal judge in the Northern Panhandle of Texas.

U.S. District Court Judge Sam Cummings – who, according to Texas Civil Rights Project director James Harrington, is one of the most conservative judges in the state of Texas – ruled against the request of three NRA-backed Texas minors to get a concealed weapon license even though the plaintiffs were under 21-years-old.

Citing the most recent U.S. Supreme Court decision on carrying weapons, Judge Cummings ruled that “the right to bear arms does not extend beyond the house.”


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Comments (9)

  1. Lee D. Downs says:

    Ever read the Constitution?

    1. M. A. Reap says:

      What part of “a well regulated militia” don’t you understand?

      1. The Reverend Rex McKee says:

        And, what part of ‘thou shalt not kill’ do you not understand?

        And explain the logic that moves from a well regulated militia to a free for all access to hand guns? What part of ‘regulated’ is so complicated?

  2. Jonathan Frazier says:

    “Why allow guns and caffeine” — police departments across the nation need to know! And if there is a link between caffeine and murder, please document that.

    I spent $16.18 at Starbuck’s today. I don’t care if fellow customers at Starbuck’s have legally-carried guns – the same is true of the grocery store, the barber shop, etc. Starbuck’s is just following the laws in their locations (some of which do not allow guns to be carried by private citizens).

  3. P Webb says:

    Someone drinking coffee is more likely to go into a killing spree than someone not drinking coffee? I’d like to see the statistical evidence that supports that claim.

  4. Nick Martin says:

    Doesn’t EPF have better things to protest than the carrying of handguns in a coffee shop? Sounds pretty silly to me. I would think that maybe holding vigil for the end of the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan would be something of greater importance.

  5. Jeff Walton says:

    Is there an outbreak of gun violence at Starbucks locations that the Episcopal Peace Fellowship has been prompted by? This does seem a bit silly.

    EPF sometimes allows itself to be used in these odd campaigns. Who else suspects that an activist from this “National Gun Victim’s Action Council” showed up at the EPF to press this lone issue, it was embraced by the group, and the activist will never be seen again? Two years ago it was a nut from Berkley pushing an (unrelated) political matter that had nothing to do with the Episcopal Church, she got her resolution of support, and then she went on to the next organization. To my knowledge, she was never heard from again.

  6. Adam Egan says:

    No wonder people don’t take the Church seriously anymore!!!

  7. The Rev. Dr. David Cottrill says:

    Once again the E. Peace Fellowship is off embarassing thinking people. What a sad, sad bunch! Thank heavens no one gives it any mind.

Comments are closed.