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Dear Friend,
As many of our local restaurants begin to reopen with new safety measures in place to protect us from COVID-19, our excitement is tempered by alarm as we see another threat to our safety re-emerge in some of those same restaurants: the threat of gun violence.
On May 9th, a dozen protesters openly displayed weapons – including pistols, shotguns, and even what appeared to be an AT4 rocket launcher! – as they ordered food from a Subway restaurant in Raleigh, North Carolina.[1]
→No one wants to feel scared as we begin to return to our favorite restaurants. Help us tell Subway CEO John Chidsey to ban the open carry of firearms in all Subway stores, and tell people to leave their guns at home!
Research has consistently found that the presence of a visible firearm makes people more aggressive, and can transform mere disagreements into violent, and potentially deadly, confrontations. [2] According to Guns Down, based on an analysis of data from the Gun Violence Archive, since 2014 Subway restaurants nationwide have experienced at least 65 incidents of gun violence in or near its restaurants, resulting in 21 deaths and 28 injuries. [3]
Subway’s website shares the vision of founder Fred DeLuca: “As we continue to grow, we are guided by his passion for delighting customers by serving fresh, delicious, sandwiches made-to-order right in front of you.” [4] If someone entered a restaurant openly carrying a weapon while I was ordering my favorite Subway sandwich (the tuna sub!), I would be terrified, not delighted.
Join us in telling Subway that we need this ban in order to keep Subway employees and customers safe from the threat of gun violence!
The armed protesters at Subway were particularly frightening. Not only were they defying North Carolina social distancing orders, the May 9th gathering was organized by a group called Blue Igloo, an apparent play on “Boogalo,” a term used by white supremacist extremist groups and militias in reference to anticipated civil war. [5] Allowing armed white supremacy in its restaurants endangers Subway workers and its customers as well, especially people of color. According to the Subway website, 24% of Subway’s franchise owners are members of minority groups, and nearly 80% of franchisees employ members of minority groups in their restaurants. [6]
Walmart, Target, Starbucks, Kroger, Chipotle, and many other American businesses agree that we all deserve to be safe in their stores and have developed policies that ask people to leave their guns at home. [7] It is time for Subway to join this group of prominent businesses committed to maintaining safe and healthy environments for customers and employees.
No matter what we look like, where we live, or where we come from, we want to be safe and free from the threat of gun violence, especially as our families begin to return to our favorite restaurants. Thank you for taking action and joining your voice with thousands of others to tell Subway to prohibit people from openly carrying firearms in their restaurants.
Together we are a powerful voice for keeping families and communities safe from the threat of gun violence.
-Jessica, Gloria, Kristin, and the whole MomsRising / MamásConPoder team
P.S. Much thanks goes to our friends at Guns Down America for crafting this action! We appreciate all they do.
[1] Photos of armed demonstrators at North Carolina Subway draw national attention
[2] Mere sight of a gun makes police- and public-more aggressive, experts say
[4] The Subway Story
[5] The Boogaloo: Extremists’ New Slang Term for A Coming Civil War
[6] Subway: Our People, Our Communities
[7] Publix, Aldi, CVS, Walgreens and other businesses want shoppers to leave guns at home
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