Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz majored in communication in college, and that’s what I’ve taught for quite a while. When I read in the Weekly (6/30) his remark that “the company is ‘centered around exceeding the expectations of the people and our customers,’ and that adding a third party would be disruptive to that vision,” I banged my head on my desk.

If your romantic partner tells you not to listen to anyone else, they’re abusing you, so dump them. If a church tells you to cut ties with everybody, it’s a cult, so get out. If a politician tells you not to listen to people with opposing views, they’re a demagogue and a tyrant in training, so take your vote elsewhere. And Schultz is a jackass, and Northern Michigan University should do some embarrassed throat-clearing over what he’s doing with their degree. So support the union.

Doyle Srader

Eugene