Starbucks is ground zero for gun nuts now! Survivalists, modern-day militiamen, and muttering crazies all prefer Sbux-brand lattes! No longer will Starbucks be seen as a safe haven for liberal pussies! The shooting starts soon.

The AP yesterday picked up on the fun trend of wacky firearm fans parading into Starbucks with their guns on full display, like a much less meaningful redneck version of the Black Panthers striding onto the legislature floor carrying shotguns. "I routinely as a way of life carry a weapon - and that extends to my coffee shops," is just one example of a quote that a gun-carrying human said to an overjoyed AP reporter.

But the real story here is the PR ninjitsu move pulled by Starbucks, which welcomed the barrel-stroking crowd with open arms and a straight face. This fits in quite nicely with the company's ongoing transformation from a perceived HippieYuppie cocksucker haven into a Real American hobo coffee fast food chain, with no greater wish than "shooting down" McDonald's, right in its happy corporate heart, so to speak.

Starbucks is no longer fancy! Starbucks welcomes you, suspicious overall-clad Republicans! Take a free shot at a misplaced yuppie with each latte purchased! There's no Tea Party like a Starbucks Tea Party!
[Pic: Flickr]

UPDATE: We received a nice note from the very man pictured in the photo on this post. He explains its origins:

That pic is of me, on an Army base in Kuwait. It was the closest Starbucks to the base the Navy had us on back in 2005. In order to leave base, you needed four things:
1) Signed permission from your Commanding Officer
2) A Cell Phone
3) At least one buddy
and lastly
4) Weapons

We could not leave base without weapons of our own, or an armed escort!

So we drove from Camp Patriot to the inland Army base for things like Starbucks and pizza! It was a little taste of home!

It became a mantra.."Grab your guns, were going to Starbucks!"

We took those pictures at the Starbucks on base where we all were carrying, to send home to friends and show them how "bad" we had it! My comment at the time was "And you think the line at your starbucks is bad!"

Some of the comments regarding your story bothered me, until I sat back and realized that people will believe what they want, regardless of the facts.....especially if they don't have them!