Starbucks Incident

It sounds like the beginning of a joke: Two black guys walk into a Starbucks…

But it’s no joke. Two men went into a Starbucks for a meeting, declined to purchase food or drink, and were therefore asked to leave. They refused to leave so police were called. They still refused to leave, so police arrested the men for trespassing. The restaurant did not press charges.

People everywhere condemned Starbucks. The two men ejected from the restaurant were lauded. ABC’s “Good Morning America” invited the men to appear on their broadcast to tell their story of being victims of racists at Starbucks.

I must be missing something here. What is wrong with expecting customers to make a purchase? What is wrong with asking people, black or white, to either buy something or leave? Businesses exist to make money. They make money when customers make a purchase. How entitled have people become when they think they have a right to occupy someone’s business without making a purchase?

When I sit in a restaurant, I expect to have to order something. If I were to refuse to order anything, I would expect a manager to appear and request that I place an order or leave. Why, then, do people make this incident about race? The men could have avoided this kerfuffle by buying a cup of coffee.

The men said they had been planning this meeting for months. If you want a place to meet and you don’t want to spend money, hold your meeting at the public library. There are rooms just for that purpose.

Meanwhile, Starbucks is retraining its employees.