First Starbucks

It's a darn pity it has to be this way. For the most part, all of us here support prudent open carry. When it goes so far as to alienate loyal supporters, the OC crowd has gone too far. Sad, sad.
 
I'm all for legal open carry, in fact I open carry much of the time. That said, people walking into restaurants carrying ARs, riot guns and un-holstered pistols would be disconcerting. I don't know what genius came up with such a brilliant idea. In what logical thought process does prancing around Starbucks or Chipotle like you're at a Taliban rally win hearts and minds?
 
All you need a vocal minority to get what they want OR a visual and vocal group to screw up something.
I'll stand with what M.A.C said about starbucks and foolish wanta be guns people.
 
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Now Chili's and Sonic have decided to join Starbucks and Chipolte.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/05/30/chilis-sonic-gun_n_5419942.html

“We recognize that the open carry of firearms creates an uncomfortable atmosphere and is not permitted under many local liquor laws,” Ashley Johnson, a spokeswoman for Chili's' parent company, Brinker International, said in an email. “So, we kindly ask that guests refrain from openly carrying firearms into our restaurants and we will continue to follow state and local laws on this issue.”

A Sonic spokesman said the company will defer to local laws with respect to storing guns in vehicles, but said it will no longer permit firearms in its dining areas.

“We’re asking that customers refrain from bringing guns onto our patios or into our indoor dining areas,” said Patrick Lenow, Sonic's vice president of public relations.
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Both chains were trying to remain neutral, following local gun laws, but acted after staged rallies by OCT. Keep up the good work, you guys will get every chain the country eventually.

I kinda like Applebee's, please hit them next so I won't have to worry about some idiot diddling the trigger on his AR while I have some appetizers with my wife.
 
Both of their responses seem fairly vague regarding concealed carry. While I seldom eat at either company's restaurants, I will CC unless posted. If it is posted, I won't patronize either of them.
 
I agree, both sound like they'll continue to respect local law w/r/t concealed carry, but would prefer not to have rifles and shotguns on display.
 
In some areas open carry is controversial enough. I don't understand why some of the ralliers feel the need to walk around with rifles and shotguns dressed like members of a SWAT team. Why not just holster a sidearm? That will cause a big enough firestorm without stoking it so much higher with the combat weaponry and attire.
 
tipoc, the third link is about the Jennifer Longdon story, which is very suspect to say the least.

She claims she was waiting for her flight at Indianapolis International when footage of her giving a speech on CNN just happened to show on the monitors at that very moment. A bystander recognized her from the feed, spat on her, and walked away. She claims nobody said anything or offered to help, and that she didn't contact security.

The problem is, CNN never ran any footage of her speech. She's never been on CNN. It also seems really unlikely that nobody in a crowded airport terminal would react to a man spitting on a wheelchair-bound woman. I'm not the only one who found this questionable.

She's also made the claim that a man accosted her in her driveway while yelling something about the 2nd Amendment. Again, she never contacted the authorities, so there is no record of the incident. We're just supposed to take her at her word that we're a bunch of unstable and misogynistic jerks.
 
You're right Tom. I don't see much evidence that Mother Jones looked into her story and tried to verify it. I think it's part of the show though. It's easier to get folks to accept that defenders of the 2nd Amendment are irresponsible louts when some folks do act that way.

The Texas group did follow that man down the street and videotaped them harassing him. They posted it on the web. They later thought better of it and took it down I heard. But the liberal Mother Jones reposted it so that all could see. They paint others with that brush and even spread unverified stories.

I think that some OC advocates deliberately put on an attention grabbing show to "shock" others into accepting OC as the norm. The thinking is infantile. It reveals a certain contempt, I think, for everyday folk who do not carry openly or concealed. It's in-groupish. It's not trying to convince anyone, it's trying to shock. It will attract people to it that want to do the same.

tipoc
 
But the liberal Mother Jones reposted it so that all could see. They paint others with that brush and even spread unverified stories.
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Yes, but that's where we are. This is a battle for public perception, and the other side is more savvy than we are.

We're still stuck in the rut of preaching to the choir while they're using every social media trick they can to make moderates think we're a bunch of knuckle-dragging savages. Whether it's dishonest doesn't matter. In this day and age, it's about making the first impression.

Believe it or not, lots of people do read the Huffington Post and Mother Jones, and they take the things they see on those sites seriously. We're left scrambling to say, "those guys on the video don't represent us," but the damage is done by then. Opinions have been formed by the readership, and we're behind the curve.
 
This is a battle for public perception, and the other side is more savvy than we are.
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Actually, there are plenty of savvy folks on the pro-gun side. The problem is that years of their hard work and careful planning can be undone in just days by the ill-advised actions of a small minority who, though admittedly well-meaning can't be bothered to ask for, or listen to advice.
 
"though admittedly well-meaning..."

Yeah.... no.

They're not well meaning. They're stupid, selfish morons. They know it, we know it, and now everyone is getting to know it.

They're starting to unravel YEARS of hardwork done by TRUE activists and Second Amendment supporters.

Yep, that's right. These clowns are NOT Second Amendment activists. They're selfish, stupid, self-serving exhibitionists whose only real purpose is to draw attention to themselves.

Narciscistic *******s are not our friends.
 
I am pro open carry and do it every day. I also live in an urban area very close to the city of Detroit proper. My experiences have been nothing but positive, respectful and educational to say the least. I also admit I don't go to Chipotle because I'm a big fan of Qdoba... but I do open carry everywhere and won't carry or spend my money where I'm not welcome. I am a CPL holder as well but only got it in order to make open carry easier here in Michigan with the goofy laws.

I guess it goes both ways for these businesses. Tulsa Chipotle kicks out MDA for harassing open carriers. http://gunsnfreedom.com/tulsa-chipotle-kicks-out-moms-demand-action-for-harassing-gun-group/
Chipotle restaurants in Oklahoma have officially taken the position that they would rather see people leave their guns at home, but they won’t ask you to leave if you don’t
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Emphasis added.
 
" I do open carry everywhere"

Do you open carry a handgun, or do you open carry a rifle on a three-point tactical sling (front slung at the ready, of course!) while in the company of 30 of your closest buddies who are also ready carrying and looking all tacti-kool in their size 86 cammo pattern boonie shorts?

I suspect that there's a huge difference between what you're doing and what they are doing.
 
Well no I don't open carry a rifle(I open carry a glock 22 with a snubbie .38 in my pocket as a BUG) but if I lived in Texas I would since there is no other option of carry for those who do not hold a CHL.

I do not however condone the handling of firearms for any reason other than in defense. I am not here saying the guys who do these stunts are right. I simply wanted to add my personal view and experience. While posting the story about MDA getting the boot.
 
"though admittedly well-meaning..."

Yeah.... no.

They're not well meaning. They're stupid, selfish morons. They know it, we know it, and now everyone is getting to know it.

They're starting to unravel YEARS of hardwork done by TRUE activists and Second Amendment supporters.

Yep, that's right. These clowns are NOT Second Amendment activists. They're selfish, stupid, self-serving exhibitionists whose only real purpose is to draw attention to themselves.

Narciscistic *******s are not our friends.
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Going to have to agree 100%. Showed the wife the pick of their "Chili's Maneuver," to gauge her reaction (we both have CHLs). Her response was that she would immediate leave the restaurant through the kitchen.


Well no I don't open carry a rifle(I open carry a glock 22 with a snubbie .38 in my pocket as a BUG) but if I lived in Texas I would since there is no other option of carry for those who do not hold a CHL.

I do not however condone the handling of firearms for any reason other than in defense. I am not here saying the guys who do these stunts are right. I simply wanted to add my personal view and experience. While posting the story about MDA getting the boot.
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1. Get a CHL. In Texas we revised the statutes and its rediculously easy now. Else, don't OC into a restaurant.

2. People who do that weren't raised by their mammas properly. Sorry but no self respecting Texan would ever have done that when I was growing up. If you did you just came in from the field and you parked that puppy at the door before the missus started barking at you for your uncouth manners.
 
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It appears that OCT and others have changed their strategy just a little. Maybe they read this forum and you guys have had a positive impact on the way they will continue their fight.

Looking back, it has become clear that there is one area in which we have gotten the most resistance and suffered the largest setbacks: open carry of long arms into private businesses. This is not a new phenomenon. Early on, because of our efforts, the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) sent a message to all TABC licensees warning them about allowing our members to open carry into their businesses. This resulted in places like Smashburger asking us to leave our guns at home. Since then, Starbucks, Wendy’s, Jack In The Box, Applebees and most recently, Chipotle have come out asking we not carry our firearms into their establishments.

Whereas, our mission is to get open carry of handguns passed in Texas, we must once again adjust in a way that shines a positive light on our efforts, our members, and our respective organizations. We have decided the prudent path, to further our goals, is to immediately cease taking long guns into corporate businesses unless invited.
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http://opencarrytexas.wordpress.com/2014/05/23/joint-statement-on-oc-of-long-arms/
 
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