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STARBUCKS CEO Howard Schultz wrote an open letter pleading with US customers to leave their firearms at home.

In it, he asked customers to stop bring firearms into stores, even in states where they are legally permissible to carry, noting that it was not a “ban” on guns, but rather a request.

Since then, legions of gun enthusiasts have taken to the coffee chain’s Facebook page to declare they are boycotting the brand.

Why do many firearm owners claim they need to bring guns to Starbucks?

Some argue it makes the coffee shop safer, while others feel morally compelled to fight for the right to carry.

Here are some of the pro-gun arguments circulating on Starbucks’ Facebook page.

This man says “I carry a weapon to protect myself and occasionally want some coffee:”

One customer said people who openly carry weapons deter criminals and mass shooters:

This veteran says the policy offends him because he is “pro-Bill of Rights:”

This man argues that the people who openly carry guns aren’t a threat:

While many customers are angrily posting on Facebook, others are applauding Schultz’s stance on the issue.

- Ashley Lutz

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