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Starbucks: Customers Carry Guns But Employees Are Prohibited

The Starbucks Coffee Company allows customers to carry guns, yet prohibits employees from having weapons in Starbucks stores.

"These
two policies seem to be in conflict," said Paul Helmke, President of
the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. "If employees having guns
is dangerous, why isn't it equally dangerous for customers to have
guns?"

WASHINGTON

The Starbucks Coffee Company allows customers to carry guns, yet prohibits employees from having weapons in Starbucks stores.

"These
two policies seem to be in conflict," said Paul Helmke, President of
the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. "If employees having guns
is dangerous, why isn't it equally dangerous for customers to have
guns?"

Starbucks' Standards of Business Conduct manual, posted
on the company's website, reads "Partners [employees] may not have or
possess any weapon while in a Starbucks store, plant or on other
Starbucks property."

The manual is here: https://assets.starbucks.com/assets/sobc-fy09-eng.pdf.

The Brady Campaign launched an online petition earlier this year (at www.bradycampaign.org),
asking people to send a message to Starbucks to bar firearms in its
stores. More than 33,000 have signed the petition. "We continue to
urge Starbucks to join other companies in establishing a no gun
policy," Helmke said.

"Starbucks has defended its policy
allowing customers to have guns by arguing that it is merely complying
with the law. But, of course, prohibiting employees from having guns
is also complying with the law," Helmke said. "The law allows Starbucks
to determine its own gun policies. It has made the right choice on
guns for employees and the wrong choice on guns for customers."

The company hosts its annual meeting for shareholders next Wednesday in Seattle.

Brady United formerly known as The Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence and its legislative and grassroots affiliate, the Brady Campaign and its dedicated network of Million Mom March Chapters, is the nation's largest, non-partisan, grassroots organization leading the fight to prevent gun violence. We are devoted to creating an America free from gun violence, where all Americans are safe at home, at school, at work, and in our communities.