How Starbucks got drawn into the gun control debate

It's "Gun Owners Support Starbucks Day" in Virginia — whether the java giant likes it or not

Starbucks employees in Virginia are in for a gun-toting treat today.
(Image credit: Facebook.com/ILoveGunsAndCoffee)

Starbucks customers in Virginia may get an eyeful of weaponry on Friday, which has been proclaimed "Gun Owners Support Starbucks Day" by gun enthusiasts in the state. Led by organizer Ed Levine, the founder of Virginia Open Carry, gun owners are being encouraged to openly pack heat as they line up for their orange mocha frappuccinos.

Why Starbucks? The company has been loath to enter the debate over gun violence, rebuffing attempts by gun-control advocates to bar guns from their stores in states where open-carry laws are in effect. The company's policy is merely "to comply with local laws in the communities we serve," spokesman Zack Hutson tells The Washington Post. "We think that's the right way to ensure a safe environment."

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Ryu Spaeth

Ryu Spaeth is deputy editor at TheWeek.com. Follow him on Twitter.