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Poll: http://online.wsj.com/community/groups/retail--economy/topics/should-retailers-open-carry-states-do
Article: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB100...048.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_MIDDLENexttoWhatsNewsTop
Poll: http://online.wsj.com/community/groups/retail--economy/topics/should-retailers-open-carry-states-do
Article: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB100...048.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_MIDDLENexttoWhatsNewsTop
Starbucks Corp. and some other chain stores in the U.S. are finding themselves caught in the middle of a firearms debate, as gun-control advocates go up against a burgeoning campaign by gun owners to carry holstered pistols in public places.
The "open carry" movement, in which gun owners carry unconcealed handguns as they go about their everyday business, is loosely organized around the country but has been gaining traction in recent months. Gun-control advocates have been pushing to quash the movement, including by petitioning the Starbucks coffee chain to ban guns on its premises.
Anti-gun activists gathered at the original Starbucks in Seattle to push retailers like the coffee chain to ban customers from openly carrying guns, WSJ's Nick Wingfield reports.
Journal Community
Businesses have the final say on their property. But the ones that don't opt to ban guns—such as Starbucks—have become parade grounds of sorts for open-carry advocates.
Starbucks on Wednesday, while bemoaning being thrust into the debate, defended its long-standing policy of complying with state open-carry weapons laws, in part by stating that its baristas, or "partners," could be harmed if the stores were to ban guns. The chain said that in the 43 states where open carry is legal, it has about 4,970 company-operated stores.
The company added: "The political, policy and legal debates around these issues belong in the legislatures and courts, not in our stores."
In 29 states, it's legal to openly carry a loaded handgun, without any form of government permission. Another 13 allow an unconcealed loaded handgun with a carry permit, according to opencarry.org, which is a loosely organized Web forum for the movement.
Continued on the website.