Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence created this logo.

Apparently there is a movement by some restaurants to ban patrons who are carrying guns. It’s a pretty silly policy if you ask me, but I definitely support a business’ decision to set its own rules. I’m not sure what they think is going to happen by setting this rule, but more power to them. While California Pizza Kitchen is saying no, Starbucks, to many people’s surprise, isn’t giving in to the anti-gun movement.

The way I see it, the only people who will follow the “gun-free zone” rule are law abiding citizens. A criminal on the other hand, doesn’t care what a restaurant’s policies are. I would suspect that most people who carry a licensed gun have been trained and are prepared to use it when there is a need. Those who carry unlicensed guns are more likely to have never been trained and usually have other motives, for which rules aren’t going to stop them.

It seems to me that the most destructive gun violence, other than some gang infested areas of most cities, is in “gun-free zones”. We saw this at Virginia Tech and Columbine (I’m not saying high schoolers should carry guns).  The same was the case at Fort Hood where, like most U.S. military bases, guns are not carried by military personnel on base.  What might have happened if the good guys also had a gun in these situations?

I don’t carry a gun. I don’t own a gun. Last time I shot a gun was over twenty years ago when I received a very short hunting lesson. Guns are not a part of my culture. However, I’m glad that there are people, law abiding citizens, who want to own and carry guns. Guns can be used for evil, but I believe more often than not they are used for good. Gun laws do not stop criminals. They only stop the law abiding citizens.

I believe in freedom as long as it doesn’t infringe on others. People should be able to smoke if they want, and restaurants and bars should have the choice to allow it or not in their place of business (California ruined outdoor dining when they pushed all the smokers onto the patio).  People should also be able to carry guns. As stated earlier, an establishment has every right to say no to guns, but I believe they are ultimately just hurting themselves. They lose customers and advertise to criminals that the only one with a gun will be the criminal.

So I applaud Starbucks for not banning guns in their stores. Not for the fact that I’m so pro gun that I’m fanatical about guns being everywhere. No. I applaud Starbucks for having a little common sense and not falling prey to the overly sensitive political correctness that continually weakens our society.

I find myself asking, “what would Seth do,” quite a bit these days.  I love marketing and problem solving in the business realm.  So, whenever I’m dealing with a business and something goes wrong, I usually ask myself that question.  WWSD?

Who is Seth?  Seth Godin is probably the foremost authority on marketing.  I find it humorous when I speak with business owners and I bring up his name.  I usually get a blank stare, but when I run into someone who does know who Seth is, well, let’s just say that their eyes light up.  People who know who Seth is, love him.  Or at least most do.

So when I was at the doctor’s office with my wife the other day, “WWSD?” came to mind.  We had been taken into one of the exam rooms and told the doctor would be with us shortly.  After fifteen minutes we finally poked our heads into the hallway and asked how much long it would be.  We were told that he had been called into an emergency meeting with his office manager earlier that day and he was running behind on his appointments.  Forty-five minutes, he finally came in and apologized.

I kept wondering how they could make this right.  Obviously he couldn’t really cut the appointment before ours short.  They had probably waited as long as we did.  Nothing brilliant came to me, but I was hoping they were contacting others after us to come a little later for their appointments.

For our wait, we were given a Starbucks card.  I think that made things a little better, but I’m sure for some people, Starbucks is not a cure all.  I guess that whatever the plan a business may have to try and placate customers, the main thing is to have a plan.  Have those Starbucks cards or something ready.

I’m still not sure what Seth would have done in this situation.  But whatever it would have been, it would have been good.  If you’re familiar with Seth, what do you think he would have done?  And if the name Seth Godin didn’t ring a bell, you should check out Seth’s work.  Whatever your business, reading Seth’s work will be worth you while.

One of the requirements when you live in Los Angeles is that you go see a show at the Hollywood Bowl. When I first moved there I really knew nothing about the venue, but I remembered that Bette Midler performed there in the movie Beaches… Yeah, I saw Beaches. I’m man enough to admit it.

One night we went to the Hollywood Bowl and before the show, we walked down to the Starbucks on Highland Ave. to grab a drink. I’m pretty tight with my money, so when and if I ever go to Starbucks, I usually just order a tall coffee. Spending $4 on a fancy cup of coffee is hard for me to swallow, but this night was special. We were treating ourselves to a Hollywood tradition of music under the stars, so I decided to go all out and order a Caramel Macchiato. Of course you probably know what a Caramel Macchiato is, but Starbucks describes it as, “[a] creamy mix of vanilla and freshly steamed milk marked with intense Starbucks® espresso, topped with velvety foam and our own proprietary buttery caramel sauce.” (Sorry, I just drooled on the keyboard.)  Oh, did it smell good. I couldn’t wait to taste it. I’m pretty sure the buttery caramel was calling my name.

But, before I could take a sip and start our hike back up the hill to the Bowl, Elisabeth asked me to carry our daughter, Cali, who was probably no more than five months old at the time. Elisabeth was carrying Cali in a BabyBjorn carrier which straps around your back and carries the baby like a reverse backpack against your chest. I set my coffee on the knee high table beside me and took Cali as Elisabeth removed the BabyBjorn. I then handed Cali back to Elisabeth and I proceeded to put my arm through one strap and then sling the rest of the pack around my back.

Instead of coming around to my other arm as usual, the BabyBjorn met some resistance. It had hit the table and… my Caramel Macchiato. There it went, most likely in slow motion, all over the floor. An entire $4 “creamy mix of vanilla and freshly steamed milk marked with intense Starbucks® espresso, topped with velvety foam and [their] own proprietary buttery caramel sauce” dripping off the table and pooling on the floor. It was enough to make this grown man cry… but I held it in.

I can’t remember much about the show at the Hollywood Bowl that night, but I remember that at the very moment, I made a vow never to buy anything other than regular coffee at Starbucks. Why? Well, I’m just not sure that I would be able to survive another traumatic experience like that again. At least if I spill my entire cup of coffee at Starbucks in the future, I’ll have only thrown $2 away.

This was sometime in 1999 (10 years ago), and I can say that to this day, I have held true to my word. It’s only been straight coffee for me. So if anyone wants to meet me at Starbucks and buy me a cup of coffee, you’re safe knowing I’ll be ordering the cheapest thing on the menu.