Trouble Brewing

Starbucks Won't Cave on Gun Control

Caught in middle of activism.

Starbucks is caught in the crossfire of a debate, of all things, on gun control. Ever since it denied a request from gun-control activists to ban guns from all of its coffee shops, it has been fielding questions and issuing statements on the matter, refusing to budge. Now, Starbucks says that these groups are simply using the Starbucks brand to give themselves more visibility. "As the public debate continues, we are asking all interested parties to refrain from putting Starbucks or our partners [employees] into the middle of this divisive issue," Starbucks said in a statement Wednesday morning. Meanwhile, activists are still pushing the company with petitions and running into further opposition from pro-gun groups.