Doonesbury by Garry Trudeau for March 24, 2010

Like taking a trip back to the saloons of old!

And totally cool with minimum wage too…

Samy, Don’t do that! You’ll give me a heart attack.

I’ll be good to y’all. I’ll carry concealed. Won’t see too much of me, they don’t carry my favorite gingerbread latte except during the Christmas season.

They’re packing because it makes them feel powerful. They’re doing it at Starbucks in order to make “liberals” feel uncomfortable.

Hit the nail bang on cdward! Unfortunately for them although they think it makes them look powerful it just makes them look like the losers too many of them are.

@VistaBill: I wouldn’t mind having back those old cowboy ways of dispensing justice when trouble starts.

If you want to know how this really works, go to Israel. Everyone carries a gun, and there is NO streetcrime. The only worry is terrorists. But the crime rate for muggings, rape, etc… are almost zero.

I have live in carry states and no carry states. I will take a carry state any time. I don’t carry any more but then a mugger doesn’t know that. At home my knife and six dogs, one an American Pitbul Terrier, do just fine.

I wonder if those rednecks tip more?

Starbucks actually does have good benefits, even for part-timers.

fbjsr: or made it a whole lot worse.

cdward is right. A redneck showing off his gun to Starbucks’ iconically “liberal” clientele is like an exhibitionist exposing himself to schoolgirls.

Joe you dont have to get foo foo coffee at Starbuck.

I go in all the time and very carefully order coffee flavored coffee. They get it right almost every time.

This week’s strip is stupid.

There’s no law against having the gun. They’re in the business of selling coffee, not inventing laws in their store just because Trudeau wants it like that.

No one spill your coffee on youself, please!

Cars and drinking, texting, cell phoning, cleaning spit-up off baby in the rear seat., how many hundreds does this kill everyday? Yet people do it in public 24/7. What are greater, my chances of being plowed by a Mustang or plowed by a Colt? Is it harder to get a permit for a Mustang or a Colt.? Guns scare you? Cars don’t? Read the newspaper today and count how many men, women, and children died on the highway. Then count how many thugs shot each other. We have gun and motor vehicle laws, enforce them.

Didn’t Starbucks refuse to send their coffee overseas to the troops as a protest to the war, but they will let you open carry in the store. How about a little clarification please?

No that is a complete LIE! Starbucks fully supported the troops. My buddy and I got several LARGE care packages from Starbucks stores. They even included a coffe Grinder in one!

In fact most big FOBs in Iraq and Kuwait have a Starbucks store in them.

The idea that they did not support the troops is an internet myth. Please do not repeat it.

Starbucks doesn’t pass legislation. They simply follow the law. I was in a Starbucks yesterday & didn’t see one openly carried weapon. This week’s strip is an unfortunate choice of topics to make a “statement” on. And yes I have a concealed weapons permit. I don’t always use it but I like to know I can.

Trukzut: the story about Starbucks refusing to send its coffee to soldiers in Iraq is false, according to Snopes:

http://www.snopes.com/politics/military/starbucks.asp

As for open carry, who knows? Maybe they’ve got some marketing study that says they’ll gain more business gun-toting rednecks than they’ll lose by driving away gun-hating liberals. Perhaps gunpowder and coffee smell irresistable together? A winning combination, kind of like alcohol, tobacco and firearms…

I don’t think GT is satirizing the prudence and common sense of gun owners like you, gbeeson. His target is the redneck libertarians who flaunt their rebelliousness in safely policed, public places. As I said, they’re really timid exhibitionists.

I don’t like Starbuck’s coffee. I find it way too strong. But if I need a real rush I’ll go there. I buy the “plain” coffee. I’m strange that way lol.

I wonder how many Starbucks have been robbed since this started. My guess is its the safest place in town. Even more than the donut shop.

Funny, here’s the government advisory: “The Department of State currently considers the crime rate in Israel as medium. The most common crimes are vehicle thefts, vehicle burglaries, and home break-ins. Vehicle thefts are the most common street crime, and there are lesser incidents of petty robbery. Auto theft in Israel is a major problem and the recovery of stolen automobiles is difficult. Vehicle break-ins frequently occur in tourist areas. Visitors should take precaution to ensure the safety of their vehicles. Home break-ins are also common in more affluent neighborhoods.”

Does that sound like this alleged paradise of guns is keeping the criminals away?

When did Starbucks start hiring giant leprechauns?

Employer-supplied Kevlar aprons, hopefully?

I have maintained over the last 40 years this month since I came back to the world after three years as a Marine radio operator in the First and Third Marine Divisions that those who carry are delusional in the extreme.

If you think you are protecting yourself or others by carrying, think again. I witnessed first hand on more than just a few occasions how vulnerable you are when faced by a determined, armed adversary.

I have not touched a firearm since I left the ‘nam in March, 1970. The crotch threatened court martial when I refused to check out a weapon at my stateside duty station where I was warehoused waiting for discharge. They backed off when I just very simply told them I was done with the killing and would gladly go to jail if they kept on with their useless demands.

If I were to decide on a life of crime and decide to hold up a (insert a victim here) the only thing different now would be the victim of my crime would die because I would not let the victim have the opportunity to go for his firearm. I would do this because I would not be able to tell armed from unarmed.

If you think carrying makes you safer, you are wrong. Dead wrong.

@erdubois, as some people pointed out, I think it was yesterday, the people who carry guns have to respect them and know how to use them, which I think is the case in Israel, because they learn both in the army. I think I would feel pretty safe with gun-carriers in such an atmosphere.

And, @Ravenswing, the crimes mentioned in Israel are mostly crimes against property, not crimes against the person. No, I wouldn’t be too happy if you stole my car. But I for sure would be happier than if you beat me up.

So what’s worse…

(a) Fueling a half-dozen, paranoid, armed rednecks with espresso for a living?

(b) Being unemployed?

Choose wisely…

@legacyshooter:

Right said.

“If you think carrying makes you safer, you are wrong. Dead wrong.”

If you think making carrying illeagle makes you safer you are wrong. Dead Wrong.

I don’t carry convealed weapon, nor do I wonder whether or not anyone I see is carrying. Everyone is potentionally dangerous, and if they really want to kill someone, they will.

Pirate and Roberts,,,, I apologize for the statement that certain rounds are made for Killing officers. You are right, their purpose is to penetrate body armor. I believe the federal law prohibiting ownership of this ammo has expired along with the partial ban on some assault rifles and large capacity magazines. Again, I “spoke” too quickly and I am sorry.

Bravo legacyshooter.

Growing up in a tough part of town (during the Vietnam War), I bore witness to an unbelievable crime wave when local gang members discovered a new source of weapons - armed security guards.

The reason? Because you can’t just shoot somebody for walking up to you on the street, or getting behind at the store exit. And by the time your use of force is justified, your gun is already removed and you’ve been either hit over the head or shot or both.

Anywhere there’s entrenched gang activity, anyone openly carrying is going to be relieved of their weapon in short order and in expert fashion.

@ Justice

No harm, no foul. :-)

As a silent-partner in a gun shop, I just get blasted by the KTW Cop-Killer thing all the time. Some of my peacenik tree-hugging friends get a little outspoken too often.

Sorry if I was abrupt. I will say this has been a refreshing discussion, though! Usually by two days it has turned into a full blown flame war!

Being from a traditionally “non-carrying” country, what I considered GT was targeting was who and what people will put up with to stay employed. I’ve worked for psychos, nutters, weirdos and bullies. And no, you don’t always have the “just leave” choice. If the job situation is tight it can be a while before another spot opens up. And if you have dependents then it’s double-hard to give up the regular pay cheque - something a lot of people (usually self-employed) do not understand.

Here in Israel guns are fairly common. I feel much safer here than I did in the NY/NJ area - although I often did walk around at crazy hours there, just as I do here.

Crime does exist here, and it varies with the neighborhood, just as in the states.

I can’t say whether people carrying guns is a major factor in how much or what kind of crime happens here - sociologists, statisticians and politicians will still be debating that a long time from now.

What I can say is that the attitude toward guns here is different. They’re seen as a necessary evil. People don’t carry them for an ego trip (we have cellphones for that… :) ) - they just want some protection if they happen to meet up with some of our more unpleasant neighbors or a backhoe operator on a mission…

These are typically parents, and children here quickly learn that guns are to be left alone until they get drafted into the service. Those who go armed would gladly not have to haul around the extra kilo of iron, and all the risk and responsibility that goes with it.

It’s sort of strange when I hear a Rabbi asking those of his congregants who have licensed guns to wear them to services, or to have an armed guard outside the synagogue, but that’s a result of the world we live in.

I’m something of a science nut (who here would have guessed?… :) ), so guns fascinate me from the technical point of view. On the other hand, they terrify me because they can end a life in less than a second.

I don’t have a gun, but I feel comfortable when my friends here carry theirs or I see a soldier with his/her assault rifle.

All in all, I’d rather have plowshares than swords (or guns), but as things stand, it looks like we’re stuck with them…

“GT was targeting … who and what people will put up with to stay employed.” Quite so, mareenz. He’s also satirizing the rednecks with their display of “ugly hardware,” and he’s even mocking himself in the person of Mike Doonesbury, who is discovering that workers at Starbuck’s may view their tables as so many powderkegs. GT’s satire often hints at tragedy, and that’s what perplexes and repels his liberal readers–since liberals, being a hopeful lot, are generally inclined to deny tragedy. Compare the outlook of someone like zev.farkas who doesn’t have the luxury of denial that we latte-sippers have.

misterwhite said, about 9 hours ago

chrisp n wrote: “Awwwww geeez…

I was so hoping this was going to be a one-day joke. ”

The thought that an armed individual can actually defend himself is a joke that will last for a very long time.

You know whats funnier? People like you who think the police are their to protect them. They arent, the job of the police is not to protect any one private individual. Of course, this changes if a diplomat, or dignitary is around. Also, its been proven that armed individuals can defend themselves.

I’m a liberal and I have no problem with guns. I have one, and a concealed carry permit. I just find the circumstances where I need to carry one very limited. I see no need to carry one in Starbucks unless it’s late night in a questionable area. Situational awareness has kept me fairly safe for the better part of 4 decades.

That said, I’d really appreciate not being called a “gun hatin’ liberal” just because I have different beliefs. Thanks.

You don’t have to be crazy to carry a gun, but you do have to be crazy to pay that much for a cup of coffee.

Cowering unarmed in your office while a previously fired manic marches thru your company killing people right and left might be a wake up call.

I do tend to be like legacyshooter, though… Nam was sobering and I wouldn’t have a weapon in my house or possession, but do recognize the right of others to go about armed.

swhite828 said, about 3 hours ago

I’m a liberal and I have no problem with guns. I have one, and a concealed carry permit. I just find the circumstances where I need to carry one very limited. I see no need to carry one in Starbucks unless it’s late night in a questionable area. Situational awareness has kept me fairly safe for the better part of 4 decades.

Why would you be in a questionable area late at night?

That said, I’d really appreciate not being called a “gun hatin’ liberal” just because I have different beliefs. Thanks.

i agree, this should have been a one day joke, really dragging now