Starbucks Values Insects More Than Kids

While sifting through my Google Reader this morning, I came across the following story out of the Daily Mail Online:

Starbucks Bows to Vegan Pressure and Stops Using Crushed Insect in Dye for Drinks

Starbucks is to stop using colouring made from crushed beetles as it bows to pressure from vegetarian customers.

The coffee giant has been using the colouring derived from cochineal insects in its strawberry frappuccinos and smoothies as deserts including the raspberry swirl cake.

However following an online campaign asking for the ingredient to be removed, it will be replaced with lycopene, a tomato extract.

More than 6,500 people signed a petition on Change.org, calling for the colouring to be removed, which campaigners claim is not vegan-friendly, safe for those following a kosher diet and undesirable for those ‘who don’t want crushed bugs in their designer drink’.

Wow – 6,500 people have forced a giant corporation to its knees.  Impressive.

And doubly scandalous, when you consider that nearly five times as many people have signed a petition vowing to Dump Starbucks because of the company’s stalwart defense of so-called “same sex marriage”.  Apparently, the economic impact of offending 6,500 signees, those who have voluntarily chosen to eschew meat in any shape, matter or form, is of greater importance to Starbucks than the more than 32,800 people who are standing up for traditional marriage and morality, and refuse to patronize their business.  You know, I may be a brand new business owner, but even in my newbieness, I can see that that isn’t all that smart of an economic decision.  It’s possible that the lycopene is significantly cheaper than the crushed bug parts, and their profit margins using those ingredients will increase, because you know they won’t lower the price of the drinks.  And even if the lycopene ends up adding costs, they’ll raise the prices to cover the added expense.  In either case, Starbucks wins, and the protestors end up with less money in their pocket, but a smug sense of superiority to us lowly meatavores.

The best option for consumers is to just not buy Starbucks, period, and keep their money in their pockets and buy better and less-expensive coffee.  Especially when you consider that Starbucks is a huge supporter of so-called same-sex marriage.  And there is a way in which you can make your voice heard.

Earlier this year, a protest petition was launched against Starbucks because their support of so-called same-sex marriage ‘is core to who we are and what we value as a company.’  Get that?  They support immoral behavior – it’s core to their business’ values.   But they’ve pledged to no longer use bugs in some of their drinks.   Saving bugs is of greater importance than promoting moral behavior.

What does this have to do about kids?  Well, as more states approve and legislate so-called same-sex marriage, the next step is adoption (yes, I know that some states permit same-sex couples – sans ‘marriage’ – to adopt kids).  And that’s harmful to kids, because kids thrive best when raised in a family with a dad and a mom.  That’s the way God designed it, and studies have shown that kids do best when in that normative environment.  Even in families where one of the spouses have died – they’re still better off than being given away to same-sex couples.   They’re done a great disservice when placed in a same-sex household – they’re placed into a disordered situation.  It isn’t right.

But hey – at least the cochineal insects are saved!

Sorry kids…

(If you haven’t done so, head over to the Dump Starbucks site and sign the petition.  If you’re a tweeter, express your support of the petition at  the hashtag #dumpstarbucks.   If you’re on Facebook, link to the petition.  Maybe if 100,000 or so more folks sign the petition, Starbucks might take notice.)

About these ads