Several decades ago, conservative scholar Russell Kirk made the observation:

In essence, the conservative person is simply one who finds the permanent things more pleasing than Chaos and Old Night. (Yet conservatives know, with Burke, that healthy “change is the means of our preservation.”) A people’s historic continuity of experience, says the conservative, offers a guide to policy far better than the abstract designs of coffee-house philosophers.

“Coffee-house philosophers” has often evoked a whole air of French philosophes, purporting to solve the worlds problems through their scribblings, while remaining utterly incapable of addressing the most basic issues in their own lives. Some things have changed about coffee houses over the years, but the whiff of political theorizing easily commingles with that of strong coffee. With websites such as meetup.com turning coffee houses into rallying points for an almost unimaginable array of causes, the old tradition seems stronger than ever.

The only problem, it would seem, is when the ‘wrong’ people exercise their political advocacy at a coffee house.

Take, for example, the decision of advocates of “open carry” of firearms to begin to meet at Starbucks franchises.

The problem is not with the Seattle-based corporation: According to press reports, Starbucks has no problem with customers ‘packing heat’ when they do so in keeping with the law.

FOXNews.com reports:

Starbucks ..., while bemoaning being thrust into the debate, defended its long-standing policy of complying with state open-carry weapons law, 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."

“Open-carry” in a state where it is legal ought to be uncontroversial. As Mike Stollenwerk, co-founder of OpenCarry.org, told The New York Times, “Our point is to do the same thing that concealed carriers do... We’re just taking off our jackets.” Exactly. Clearly the folks who have had far too much caffeine are the loons picketing against the exercise of constitutional rights.

Perhaps for “Tea Party” enthusiasts this was the next logical step. Why ‘brand’ yourself with the drink of British imperialism when you can have a good ‘ol “cup of joe”?

The right to keep and bear arms is not about “concealed carry”; it’s not about the right to defend yourself only as long as no one knows you are exercising your constitutional right to self defense. If defense of the Second Amendment is supposed to be about the intent of the framers, then “open carry” is central to the entire debate. If someone thinks that citizens exercising their constitutional rights is ‘intimidating’ the problem is with the observer, not the person who is exercising his rights under law. Brandishing a weapon is, quite obviously, a different matter from legal “open carry”... that’s why brandishing is a pretty serious criminal offense. But the claim that a holstered firearm is something inherently intimidating is as ridiculous as claiming that driving a car clearly implies one intends to engage in reckless driving or willful endangerment.

If coffee houses are, among many other things, a place for exercising one’s first amendment rights, shouldn't the rest of the United States Constitution be welcome there, too?

Rt. Rev. James Heiser has served as Pastor of Salem Lutheran Church in Malone, Texas, while maintaining his responsibilities as publisher of Repristination Press, which he established in 1993 to publish academic and popular theological books to serve the Lutheran Church.  Heiser has also served since 2005 as the Dean of Missions for The Augustana Ministerium and in 2006 was called to serve as Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Diocese of North America (ELDoNA). An advocate of manned space exploration, Heiser serves on the Steering Committee of the Mars Society. His publications include two books; The Office of the Ministry in N. Hunnius' Epitome Credendorum (1996) and A Shining City on a Higher Hill: Christianity and the Next New World (2006), as well as dozens of journal articles and book reviews.

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Still Free

March 09, 2010

64.12.117.9

Votes: +3

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Very nice article, thank you.

I can't decide which I like better:
the "control freaks" getting nervous
or
being able to watch people packin'...

RichardR369

March 10, 2010

143.166.255.62

Votes: +1

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Child Puppets

It's so sad that children are being used to push a communist message.

AntiMarxist4Life

March 11, 2010

98.232.162.53

Votes: +1

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Thank you Starbucks

This is a small step in the right direction for "We The People" and we should thank starbucks for not infringing upon our Constitutional right to bear arms, which is protected by the second amendment.
These Communists use children in this form of prapaganda to incite fear in the hearts of the ignorant. It is outragous that the traitors should employ such tactics, yet they still do so in the name of peace and that is the worse crime of all.

Second Amendment:
A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

"When injustice becomes law, Rebellion becomes duty" Thomas Jefferson

Adam Martinez

March 16, 2010

76.173.66.139

Votes: +0

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Citizen of the United States of America

I just learned of the JB society and i am deeply interested in there cause. In concerns to this topic. I am shocked to see that starbucks hasnt tried to bag guns in their stores and yeah people need to understand the right to bear arms is in the constitution and we as citizens of this great country should be able to freely enjoy that right. People who no nothing of firearms except the thought of death and crime. They are so blinded and have been brainwashed by the media that guns are evil and scary. They dont see the it is a sport some people enjoy to shoot firearms in a safe and legal manner and by all means even a way to protect our lives and our families and our property. We give police the right to use arms and any right they are granted so is the public and it is our 2nd amendment that gives us that. Please everyone get away from your tv and think and see all the angles dont believe the media read the constitution it was writen for us it is one of the greatest writings ever written truly amazing.

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