Politics & Government

Virginia Gun Owners: Celebrating 'Open Carry' Friday at Starbucks?

Celebrating Second Amendment, activists say "2-22 is our holiday."

Gun rights activists in Virginia are celebrating the Commonwealth's open-carry gun laws and the Second Amendment — the right to bear arms — Friday (the date is 2/22) by supporting Starbucks.

So if you're stopping in for a latte Friday, don't be surprised if you see a couple of local gun owners gathered to celebrate the Commonwealth's open-carry gun laws. The open carrying of a handgun in Virginia is lawful. 

Ed Levine, an executive member of the Virginia Citizens Defense League and founder of Virginia Open Carry, told The Washington Post the point of the Starbucks day is “to show the general public that good guys carry guns too."

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The group's Facebook page Friday reads:

This is a new *nationwide* grassroots holiday for people who support our most basic civil right.

>> Spend $2 at Starbucks to support a company that supports YOUR human rights, especially the most important right of all, self-defense and the 2nd Amendment.

>> The "2/22" represents both the specific day of this holiday each year, and *also* represents the three reasons that the Founders enshrined the pre-existing right into our founding document:

2 = defense of ourselves.
2 = defense of our families and communities.
2 = defense of our great country.

Find out what's happening in Greater Alexandriawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

One participant on the Facebook page posted a photo of a gun on a tabletop next to two Starbucks cups and said: "Showing my support to Starbucks for their support of 2nd Amendment rights."

Starbucks spokesman Zack Hutson told The Washington Post “our longstanding position is to comply with local laws in the communities we serve. We think that’s the right way to ensure a safe environment for our partners,” which is both employees and customers.


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