September 18, 2013 – LonelyMachines

Soundbites vs. Facts

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: this week’s shooting at the Navy Yard in Washington, DC happened because President Clinton declared military bases gun-free zones by executive order. It’s all over the internet and the right-wing talk shows.

It certainly seems neat and tidy. Pity it isn’t true.

The policy in question is DoD Directive AD-A272, which was implemented in 1992. Who was President in 1992? Hint: it wasn’t Clinton.

President Clinton did apply it to the Army under executive order. This appears to be what the pundits are fuming over, but they’re wrong.

We need to check our facts very carefully before we going making statements like that.

Civil Rights

Was It Worth It?

Congratulations are due to everyone who decided to open carry at Starbucks. The company has implemented a new policy under which guns are no longer welcome on their property.

Recently, however, we’ve seen the “open carry” debate become increasingly uncivil and, in some cases, even threatening. Pro-gun activists have used our stores as a political stage for media events misleadingly called “Starbucks Appreciation Days” that disingenuously portray Starbucks as a champion of “open carry.” To be clear: we do not want these events in our stores. Some anti-gun activists have also played a role in ratcheting up the rhetoric and friction, including soliciting and confronting our customers and partners.

For these reasons, 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.

The policy doesn’t just make open carry unwelcome; we are asked not to carry guns at all.

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