Commentary and Coffee

This morning I bought a cup of coffee at the Starbucks located at the base of my office building and found a very political statement printed on my cup.

This is the result of a program started by the coffee retailer, The Way I See It. The Seattle based company says it "has always supported a good, healthy discussion," Their website continues, "To get people talking, “The Way I See It” is a collection of thoughts, opinions and expressions provided by notable figures that now appear on our widely shared cups."

I was kind of shocked and offended to find what I thought to be a typically liberal, anti-Christian screed on the side of my sugar free vanilla latte.

"Evolution as described by Charles Darwin is a scientific theory, abundantly reconfirmed, explaining physical phenomena by physical causes. Intelligent Design is a faith-based initiative in rhetorical argument. Should we teach I.D. in America’s public schools? Yes, let’s do it – not as science, but alongside other spiritual beliefs, such as Islam, Zoroastrianism and the Hindu idea that the Earth rests on Chukwa, the giant turtle."
David Quammen
Author. His books include The Song of the Dodo and The Reluctant Mr. Darwin.

Just as I was about to blast them for this, I actually did some research and found that for the most part, the selected commentaries are fairly balanced. To take it a step further, Starbucks allows its customers to comment further on their website.

Here's a quote from another cup featuring thoughts from right leaning radio shrink Dr. Laura Schlessinger:

"Many people search blindly for the “meaning of life.” What they don’t seem to understand is that life does not have meaning through mere existence or acquisition or fun. The meaning of life is inherent in the connections we make to others through honor and obligation."
Dr. Laura Schlessinger International radio host and author. Her program is syndicated on more than 250 radio stations worldwide.

To be honest, I knee-jerked on this one and upon further research and reflection, I think this is a great program. I may not agree with some of the sentiments but if Starbucks is encouraging an open discussion it can't be a bad idea.