咖啡與槍共存

Dale Welch走進位于弗吉尼亞州的一家星巴克，腰上別著手槍的他點了一杯香蕉星冰樂外加一份肉桂小面包。他稱至少有一位顧客忍不住再次打量了一下他的槍，但咖啡師們并未做出偷看的舉動。
Dale Welch recently walked into a Starbucks in Virginia, handgun strapped to his waist, and ordered a banana Frappuccino with a cinnamon bun. He says the firearm drew a double-take from at least one customer, but not a peep from the baristas.
Dale Welch突然光臨這家咖啡店，此舉是為了同許多槍支持有者一道，在幾個允許人們公開攜帶槍支的州內，行使并宣傳他們應有的權利。 Welch's foray into the coffeehouse was part of an effort by some gun owners to exercise and advertise their rights in states that allow people to openly carry firearms.
即使是在幾個容許“公開攜帶槍支”的州，許多商店還是可以拒絕攜帶槍支者入內。而那些對槍支說不的商家，也與槍支擁有者展開了政治對抗。作為最大的連鎖咖啡店，星巴克顯然不接受這套。星巴克在本月的一項聲明中稱，將遵循州及地方法律（容許公開攜帶槍支），并表示其所有店鋪都擁有自己的安全措施。
Even in some "open carry" states, businesses are allowed to ban guns in their stores. And some have, creating political confrontations with gun owners. But Starbucks, the largest chain targeted, has refused to take the bait, saying in a statement this month that it follows state and local laws and has its own safety measures in its stores.
槍支政策專家，密西西比大學政治學教授John Bruce表示：“星巴克之所以成為一個特別目標，是因為它起源于西海岸的嬉皮士文化，很多愿意花4美元來購買咖啡的忠實顧客，都期許星巴克會對槍支說不。但顯然他們失算了。”
"Starbucks is a special target because it's from the hippie West Coast, and a lot of dedicated consumers who pay $4 for coffee have expectations that Starbucks would ban guns. And here they aren't," said John Bruce, a political science professor at the University of Mississippi who is an expert in gun policy.
71歲的Dale Welch生活在弗吉尼亞州里士滿市，是一位已退休的物業經理。他認為攜帶武器喝咖啡，這沒什么不可以的。
Welch, a 71-year-old retired property manager who lives in Richmond, Va., doesn't see any reason why he shouldn't bear arms while he gets caffeinated.
他說：“除了我自己，沒人能為我提供保護；所以我經常會隨身攜帶武器，這已經成為我的一種生活方式——同時也波及到我經常光顧的咖啡店。”
"I don't know of anybody who would provide me with defense other than myself, so I routinely as a way of life carry a weapon -- and that extends to my coffee shops," he said.
一月初，擁槍與反槍爭奪零售商家的戰爭變得激烈起來。與此同時，北加利福尼亞州的槍支狂熱份子們開始走進星巴克及其他的一些商店中，該州法律允許槍支持有者在公眾場合公開攜帶武器，他們這樣做也是為了檢驗此項立法的效力。隨著該舉動不斷波及到其他的州，反槍支組織迅速對于在當地商店中舉行的“槍支大游行”提出抗議。
The fight for retailers heated up in early January when gun enthusiasts in northern California began walking into Starbucks and other businesses to test state laws that allow gun owners to carry weapons openly in public places. As it spread to other states, gun control groups quickly complained about the parade of firearms in local stores.
在一些自發的游行中，只有一兩名參與者攜帶槍支走進商場中。而在另一些有組織的游行中，數十人頗為自豪地攜帶武器走進一些餐廳。
Some were spontaneous, with just one or two gun owners walking into a store. Others were organized parades of dozens of gun owners walking into restaurants with their firearms proudly at their sides.
一次，約100名攜帶武器的活動者計劃好前往加州胡桃溪市的加州披薩廚房聚會；但在得知他們并不受歡迎之后，他們只好前往另一家餐廳。而那家連鎖店和皮茲咖啡一樣，都是反槍支商戶中的一員。
In one case, about 100 activists bearing arms had planned to go to a California Pizza Kitchen in Walnut Creek, Calif., but after it became clear they weren't welcome they went to another restaurant. That chain and Peet's Coffee & Tea are among the businesses that have banned customers with guns.
就如同許多商店謝絕赤腳顧客進入，某幾個州的餐廳和商店也一再重申自己開店的前提就是選擇禁槍區。
Just as shops can deny service to barefoot customers, restaurants and stores in some states can declare their premises gun-free zones.
“OpenCarry.org”團體是鼓勵擁槍游行的領導組織，該組織發表聲明為星巴克“決定對合法攜槍顧客一視同仁”的舉動而喝彩。
The advocacy group OpenCarry.org, a leading group encouraging the demonstrations, applauded Starbucks in a statement for "deciding not to discriminate against lawful gun carriers.
“星巴克被視為一家有責任感的公司，一家與時俱進的企業，而這項政策也正好與之相符。”“OpenCarry.org”的聯合創始人John Pierce表示。“如果你們想擁護人權，那么就必須支持它們。我為它們喝彩，我本人也會竭盡全力，路上經過時，我會把這個消息告訴所有星巴克的經理。” "Starbucks is seen as a responsible corporation and they're seen as a very progressive corporation, and this policy is very much in keeping with that," said John Pierce, co-founder of OpenCarry.org. "If you're going to support individual rights, you have to support them all. I applaud them, and I've gone out of my way personally to let every manager of every Starbucks I pass know that."

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