Theme:– A Conversation on Gun Violence, Bias and Mental Illness

There is a debate across the country about the role of government in enterprise. This is not new and dates back many decades. Some would like to see less intrusion while those on the side of civil rights would like to see less exclusion. But it seems the topic of gun violence doesn’t hit home until it hits home.

Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz recently made a policy revision by requesting customers leave their guns at home when visiting stores. This change was met with mixed reviews. One argument says it’s not enforceable. Another argument says the likelihood that some customers will protest is probable.

To understand this highly charged debate takes us back to the 2^nd Amendment. The right to bear arms is seen as a constitutional certainty. Some advocates say they should be allowed to buy, sell and even carry as they choose. Maybe bearing arms for self-preservation is more a badge of honor than of entitlement.

Think back to the mortgage crisis and you know where that got us. It was believed that every citizen should have the opportunity to own a home (a good thing). So mortgage companies went crazy approving loans that were sub-prime. Home ownership went from being a badge of honor to a badge of entitlement.

Since the mortgage crisis hit home for our economy we’ve seen major changes. There are new guidelines for loan qualification. Well, if this is true for home loans why not for other areas of social distress. Maybe CEO Schultz hopes to expand the conversation so society gets a handle on violence in the community.

Footnote: When a privilege goes from being a badge of honor to being a badge of entitlement things seem to get out of control.