Trillo and Rickman: Two Different Views of the Starbucks Arrests

Trillo and Rickman: Two Different Views of the Starbucks Arrests

Much of America reacted to the arrest of two black men at a Starbucks outside of Philadelphia.

Two Rhode Islanders have very different views about the episode and the proper reaction.

Civil rights leader Ray Rickman says the incident is a simple case of racism. It simply would not have happened to white customers.

WATCH RICKMAN'S VIDEO INTERVIEW ABOVE

Independent gubernatorial candidate Joe Trillo is blasting Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson for “bending to the will of Progressives.” 

A national backlash against the company led the CEO to announce that the coffee shop chain will close every company-owned store in the United States on May 29 for racial-bias education.

"On three different occasions police officers, called by store management, asked the two males to leave the location because they were trespassing.  When the men refused requests to leave, they were arrested.  That’s the way it goes.  If two white men were arrested for refusing an officer’s instructions to leave, we would not be learning of this story,” Trillo said.

“I am so sick of hearing people scream the word racism every time a minority gets arrested for something unlawful.  Sorry folks, if you’re asked to leave a business’s premises, you leave.  It’s not racism, it’s what happens when you break the law,” he added.  

“For the CEO of Starbucks to pander to far-left Progressive insanity by closing down for a day, only makes matters worse.  Mr. Johnson is not interested in racial-bias education, he’s interested in damage control.  Grow a backbone, Mr. Johnson. Your actions affect every small business out there that seats people, by saying they should basically tolerate people coming into their establishment, sitting at a table, using their facilities, ordering nothing.  If that’s not a recipe to destroy a small business, I can’t think of a better one.  If Mr. Johnson has his way, every business in America would shake in its shoes before enforcing its right to run a decent establishment.” 

Trillo, the 2016 RI Chair for Trump for President, added, “Does this mean that Starbucks is now going to start inviting the homeless to come in for a nice warm place to hang out and use the facilities?  This is the message you’re sending, Mr. Johnson.  Congratulations, you should teach at Harvard Business School.”