Getting a cup of coffee at Starbucks while carrying a gun seems strange, but with all of the recent mass shootings, it’s not inconceivable that patrons might want a little more protection.

That’s why Starbucks should stop asking people to leave their guns outside the shop. Dangerous situations might arise and people deserve to be able to protect themselves should they occur.

Last Tuesday, Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz requested that gun owners no longer bring their weapons into his ubiquitous chain of coffeehouses. The guns aren’t technically banned, however. Instead, Schultz is strongly recommending that customers leave their firearms at home, according to the Wall Street Journal.

This recommendation occurred after the shooting at the Washington Navy Yard, an incident that claimed the lives of 13 people including the shooter.  It was also made shortly before a mass shooting in an upscale Nairobi mall that left at least 60 dead. However, Schultz’s announcement was not a response to these recent shootings. It just happened to coincide with the incidents, according to The New York Times.

If people do come in with guns, the baristas won’t be able to refuse the customers service or tell them to leave. They will have to brew them drinks t

he way they would for any other customer, according to the New York Times. Unlike the no-smoking signs on windows at every Starbucks, there won’t be any signs banning guns from the store.

It’s good that Starbucks is allowing their customers to decide for themselves whether they will respect the request or not.

In most states, citizens are allowed to carry firearms openly. Of those states that allow firearms to be carried openly, 29 of them have no rules prohibiting guns in public and 15 require gun owners to carry permits. California only allows people to carry firearms openly in rural areas. And only five states actually explicitly prohibit guns in public, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Even though there are a few states that completely prohibit guns in public, those states that allow guns out and about are doing a good thing. Some may say that we need stricter laws on gun control, but what if something bad happens and no one has any form of protection? For example, what if someone is being robbed? They should be able to have a gun handy so that they have a way to defend themselves.

Groups such as the National Rifle Association are going to keep advocating the legalization of all firearms. Because of the new Starbucks recommendation, they are going to have to push even more to get what the Second Amendment should already provide them with.

Some gun advocates may even go as far as to no longer support Starbucks and start going to other coffee shops where the management hasn’t taken a stand against the Second Amendment.

Since Schultz made his statement, some advocates of gun rights have even begun to sell products that have the Starbucks logo with the trademark siren holding two guns. On the logo, it says “I Love Coffee and Guns,” according to The Upper Michigan Source.

For me, the debate comes down to safety. People should be able to have some sort of firearm to protect themselves when they enter any establishment.

Tara Miller can be reached at [email protected] or @chicojournalist on Twitter.