Dear Friends,
Exciting news! Yesterday, the C.E.O. of Starbucks, Howard Schultz, issued an open letter calling on customers to cease bringing guns into its stores. Together, we made this possible: thank you!
Mr. Schultz writes,
...today we are respectfully requesting that customers no longer bring firearms into our stores or outdoor seating areas -- even in states where "open carry" is permitted -- unless they are authorized law enforcement personnel.
 Mr. Schultz's public declaration comes in response to two years of persistent efforts by the Fellowship of Reconciliation and allies to press the company to ban guns from its establishments. Other companies, like Peet's Coffee & Tea and California Pizza Kitchen, had already done so; we focused on Starbucks because we know they are an industry leader and because they have long championed responsible and progressive business practices on other social issues.
Coordinated by the National Gun Victims Action Council, with support from FOR and the Episcopal Peace Fellowship, our coalition began by writing to Mr. Schultz in 2011 to encourage Starbucks to take this action. But our appeals were met with negative replies. So after months of unsuccessful outreach, in February 2012 our coalition decided to call for a boycott of Starbucks.
In 2013, in the wake of the Newtown massacre, the pressure increased dramatically on Starbucks, thanks to the support of other gun violence prevention groups with increased attention to the role that corporations can play in creating safer communities (not just legislation). Mom's Demand Action organized an online petition campaign that drew 60,000 signatures, and community leaders in Newtown, Connecticut, called on Starbucks to ban guns from their premises.
Today, we see the fruits of those efforts. Together, we pushed Starbucks to make the right decision for the safety of their employees and their customers.
Let's thank Starbucks for taking this important step! Visit your local Starbucks to express your appreciation, and join Moms Demand Action and others by using social media -- you can tweet #CelebrateStarbucks to @Starbucks and post your thanks on Starbucks' blog and Facebook page.
Thank you for being a part of this important victory.
FOR peace and justice,
Shauen, Ethan, Kristin, and the team at FOR
[Image: ThingProgress.] |
