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Why Do Starbucks Cups Say ‘Come Together’ (Hint: It Has to Do With the Fiscal Cliff)

Dec. 26, 2012 1:02pm Liz Klimas

Starbucks Employees to Write Come Together on Fiscal Cliff on Cups in Washington, D.C.

(Image: Starbucks Blog)

NEW YORK (TheBlaze/AP) — If you’re in Washington, D.C., and order a grande skim double espresso shot latte with hazelnut syrup, you might see some words other than the Starbucks lingo explaining your complicated drink to the barista on the cardboard cup. You might see the words “Come Together.”

This isn’t coaxing the perfect blend between espresso and milk either. With these words to be marked on cups Thursday and Friday, Starbucks is alluding to the “fiscal cliff” and is using its coffee cups make its first jump into the political fray in Washington.

The world’s biggest coffee chain is asking employees at cafes in the D.C. metro area to scribble these words, which CEO Howard Schultz explained are intended as a message to lawmakers about the damage being caused by the divisive negotiations over the “fiscal cliff.”

It’s the first time employees at Starbucks cafes are being asked to write anything other than customers’ names on cups.

While companies generally steer clear of politics to avoid alienating customers, the plea to “Come Together” is a sentiment unlikely to cause controversy. If anything, Starbucks could score points with customers and burnish its image as a socially conscious company.

This isn’t the first time the coffee chain is using its platform to send a political message. In the summer of 2011, Schultz also asked other CEOs and the public to stop making campaign contributions until politicians found a way to deal with a crisis over the debt ceiling that led to a downgrade in the country’s credit rating.

Here’s more from Schultz’s blog post explaining the action:

In the spirit of the Holiday season and the Starbucks tradition of bringing people together, we have a unique opportunity to unite and take action on an incredibly important topic. As many of you know, our elected officials in Washington D.C. have been unable to come together and compromise to solve the tremendously important, time-sensitive issue to fix the national debt. You can learn more about this impending crisis at www.fixthedebt.org.

Rather than be bystanders, we have an opportunity—and I believe a responsibility—to use our company’s scale for good by sending a respectful and optimistic message to our elected officials to come together and reach common ground on this important issue. This week through December 28, partners in our Washington D.C. area stores are writing “Come Together” on customers’ cups.

It’s a small gesture, but the power of small gestures is what Starbucks is about! Imagine the power of our partners and hundreds of thousands of customers each sharing such a simple message, one cup at a time.

Starbucks is also taking out an ad in the Washington Post on Thursday showing a cup with the words “Come Together” on it.

The “fiscal cliff” refers to the steep tax hikes and spending cuts set to take effect Jan. 1, unless the White House and Congress reach an agreement to avoid them.

As for whether customers will be confused by the “Come Together” message or understand that it’s related to the fiscal cliff, Schultz said in an interview that there’s wide public awareness about the negotiations and that Starbucks will use social media to explain the effort. The Seattle-based company says test runs at select stores showed operations wouldn’t be slowed.

Schultz says the message is a way to underscore the damage being done to the “consumer psyche and behavior” by the talks. Although he says Starbucks sales haven’t been affected, he points out that Wal-Mart Stores Inc. CEO Mike Duke warned that fears over the fiscal cliff could cause Americans to pull back on holiday spending. Early figures have shown a relatively weak shopping season.

As for the negotiations, Schultz isn’t taking any sides on the issues of tax increases or spending cuts.

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Comments (73)

smash44
Posted on December 27, 2012 at 7:43am
I say We All “Come Together” and never buy another item from Starbucks again. I don’t. But sadly I’ve come to witness people that slam uber-liberal, anti-American actors, actresses, Hollywood liberal pukes, Starbucks, etc. still pour money into their greedy paws by either paying to watch their movies on Cable, DVD, etc or in person. You still buy Starbucks coffee at inflated prices, you still purchase Frito-Lay products (Eva Longoria), you still pay to watch Hanks, DiNiro, Damon, Clooney, Affleck, Moore, Katy Perry, Beyonce, Madonna, etc. even after these disgusting, ignorant liberal jackwads call you every despicable rotten obscene name in the book. BUT YOU STILL ADD TO THEIR FEEDBAG by purchasing their products. WTF is the matter with you people? You have no balls, no guts. That’s what the minorities have going for them – at least they stand up for their convictions. How many chains and individuals have backed off their conservative stances because of minority boycotts and the loss of the almighty buck? Every last one even Chick-Fil-A. Wise up and put your money where your mouths are. Yeah right, until tomorrow morning and it’s back to Starbucks for a $5 cup of Joe. Who are the real Idiots in this country?

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- trolltrainer
  Posted on December 27, 2012 at 8:03am
  smash44
  Posted on December 27, 2012 at 7:43am
  
  [blah, blah, blah]…Who are the real Idiots in this country?
  ——————————————————————————————
  People like you…As well as people like them…
  
  Maybe if we would all stop going to war with everything we disagree with?
  
  ….Naw…Too easy…
  
  Report this comment
- SocialistSlayer
  Posted on December 27, 2012 at 8:25am
  Stupid !
  
  Report this comment
- RobbieTLHughie
  Posted on December 27, 2012 at 10:32am
  I say you should just shut the **** up and stop talking, because it’s really annoying and there’s way too much to read there. I get tired of this insulting crap, you just stereotyped a bunch of idiotic nonsense that you ‘think’ you know about Starbucks, a very successful American company and compiled it into a vitriolic, stretched-out paragraph on how completely ignorant you are about generally everything in modern society.
  
  You are the real idiot in the country, because it sounds to me like you want to crash our economy. You’re an economic terrorist. HAH! No you’re not really but seriously, get a latte or something and relax, amigo – you’re pretty high strung.
  
  Report this comment
- G-WHIZ
  Posted on December 27, 2012 at 12:41pm
  I donna read anything on the cups…I just drinka duh coffee! Their oldfashond-doughnuts and their bluberrymuffins are unique in todays age! My mother and ealy-50′s neighbors made things this good! Now, things are made “soft” by under-cooking and adding oodels of “shortning” to make consictency of moosh with absolutely no flavors or food-qualities!!
  
  Report this comment
- lillymckim
  Posted on December 29, 2012 at 6:25pm
  agree with you totally
  
  Report this comment
ares338
Posted on December 27, 2012 at 7:10am
I don’t buy Starbucks coffee andi don’t read messages on paper cups.

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Expat in Warsaw
Posted on December 27, 2012 at 5:28am
Schultz is just one of the many members of The Tribe who are Oberoid ********. What is meant
by the yuppiefied happy talk “Come Together” is that the Republicans should cave to whatever
demands that Obama makes.

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Ch
Posted on December 27, 2012 at 5:14am
Typical liberal…spout Kumbaya. Do nothing.

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Girard1974
Posted on December 27, 2012 at 12:14am
Since I first heard of Starbucks coffee the majority of times I’ve had a cup is when someone else bought it for me; and not a drop in recent memory. Yet being the gracious gentleman that I always try to be, I drink it and after the first couple of gulps say “yum.” In reality though I don’t understand the hype behind any $5.00 cup of coffee. Starbucks simply isn’t worth $1.25 minus the tax.

And now to politicize the cup o’ joe with an inane comment like “Come Together” scribbled by some over-paid “barista?” Puhleeeze!! The first thing I think of is the Beatles’ Abbey Road – now that was a great album and “Come Together” was my second favorite cut (behind “Here Comes the Sun”). As for it having any meaning insofar as this silly fiscal cliff is concerned – silly.

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- The_Jerk
  Posted on December 27, 2012 at 12:47am
  Howard Schultz was another progressive Jewish supporter of Obama. He gets what he wants, deserves. When will you wake up?
  
  Report this comment
- bbyrdhouse
  Posted on December 27, 2012 at 7:40am
  @GIRARD1974 – RE: Starbucks coffee
  Me too! I can not that nasty stuff. However, I don’t put foam, sprinkles, pumpkin spice, hazelnut, cream or other crap in my coffee … just a bit of sugar (or not).
  
  I much prefer Dunkin Donuts regular coffee to anything that Starbucks has to offer.
  
  Also, I can’t recall ever having read anything scribbled on the side of a cup … If I happened to notice it, I would assume that they gave me a used cup and would probably ask for a new cup.
  
  Report this comment
- RobbieTLHughie
  Posted on December 27, 2012 at 10:33am
  “I hate American companies, even though I’m for the free market blah blah blah blah blah blah blah.”
  
  Report this comment
LeadNotFollow
Posted on December 26, 2012 at 11:55pm
Oh great! That’s all we need.
Employees fingering all over our cups, even more than they usually do.

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MisterSarcastic
Posted on December 26, 2012 at 11:13pm
A $4.00 cup of that Choka Mocha Latte crap every day for a 40 year working career is 60k. I’ll brew my Joe at home and put the difference in my pocket.

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GuruMeditation
Posted on December 26, 2012 at 6:24pm
If it weren’t for this article I would have no idea what might be on a Starbucks cup.

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blackfeather
Posted on December 26, 2012 at 5:43pm
screw starbucks…their coffee is dog drop anyway.

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jessieH
Posted on December 26, 2012 at 3:52pm
Come together. That’s kind of ironic. When the American People “come together”, the left will be swimming to another country. If they survive the onslaught.

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- SUNTZU
  Posted on December 26, 2012 at 10:55pm
  When you come together
  it’s called a
  drawgasium :)>
  
  Report this comment
Enchanted
Posted on December 26, 2012 at 2:45pm
Starbucks can start coming together by lowering their $5.25 price for a venti caramel macchiato

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- chips1
  Posted on December 26, 2012 at 2:54pm
  McDonalds actually sells coffee. I buy silver with the savings.
  
  Report this comment
- ChildOfTheKing
  Posted on December 26, 2012 at 3:05pm
  Actually, it is a sexual reference..what else could it be? ;-)))
  
  Report this comment
perry1980
Posted on December 26, 2012 at 2:40pm
I stopped Drinking that coffee several years ago.

Its too expensive
Its too liberal of an organization
other companies deserve my money more.
Do the Same

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- ChildOfTheKing
  Posted on December 26, 2012 at 3:03pm
  Bingo! WE HAVE A WINNER WITH THE PERFECT ANSWER! ;-))
  
  Same goes here. We do NOT watch any movies with liberal stars in it, such as Matt Damon or Sean Penn. We do not visit Starbuck’s – PERIOD, and I have made the case to my friends, and now they don’t either.
  
  Why should I spend my hard-earned money supporting their leftist agendas? Not gonna happen.
  
  Report this comment
Modern_Cicero
Posted on December 26, 2012 at 2:40pm
All of these guys JUST DON’T GET IT. The Fiscal Cliff is NOT about an arbitrary spending cap. It’s about holders of 16 TRILLION DOLLARS in U.S. debt CALLING THEIR LOANS in a run on the treasury and the U.S. experiencing HYPERINFLATION and a PAINFUL ECONOMIC RESET which will hit hardest on those middle income-earners who the President pretends to be looking out for even as he’s spending 1.5 TRILLION DOLLARS PER YEAR that we don’t have and arbitrarily making up THOUSANDS OF PAGES OF FEDERAL REGULATION each year that favor existing corporations and big money interests. These are the things the Fiscal Cliff is truly about. The only way congress can fix this is if they COME TOGETHER and CUT ONE AND A HALF TRILLION DOLLARS of spending from the budget each year. That is the ONLY way.

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- clutch520
  Posted on December 26, 2012 at 3:39pm
  There is no “fiscal cliff”! The only thing they are debating is the size of the increase in the cost of government. This ‘baseline budgeting’ crap has got to stop! “Should we expand the cost by our original 8% or hold it to 5% and tell the public we’ve reduced spending by 3%? People are such dopes they’ll believe anything we tell them. BWAHAHAHAHA!!!”
  
  Report this comment
blanco5
Posted on December 26, 2012 at 2:32pm
Come together means agree with the leftys only!

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- ChildOfTheKing
  Posted on December 26, 2012 at 3:15pm
  Not gonna happen in my neighborhood……..
  
  We are ready for the fiscal cliff – yup, we are preppers and are ready for anything you throw at us.
  
  BRING IT ON, BOZOS (govt’t).
  
  BTW: if you are not a prepper, YOU ARE A TOTAL FOOL.
  
  the Bible tells us to OWE NO MAN.
  Get your bills paid off.
  Stock up on staples.
  Have a wood-burning fireplace (for cooking and heat).
  
  GET PREPARED NOW. YOU WON’T REGRET IT.
  
  Report this comment
dadsrootbeer
Posted on December 26, 2012 at 2:29pm
Come together like when Boehner gave in on tax increases and asked Obammy what he would do for a compromise. The answer he got was, ” nothing, I get that for free”.

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- ChildOfTheKing
  Posted on December 26, 2012 at 3:09pm
  Boehner is a Progressive, or didn’t you know that? HE IS A MORON AND I CAN SAY THAT BECAUSE HE IS FROM MY OWN HOME STATE AND HE IS PATHETIC. HE SHOULD RESIGN.
  
  I do NOT want Newt either! HE IS ALSO A MODERATE.
  Are there any REAL CONSERVATIVES OUT THERE?
  
  Report this comment
The-Monk
Posted on December 26, 2012 at 2:02pm
So a coffee company that sells a $7 cup of coffee has something meaningful to say about the fiscal cliff?

I don’t think so.

And what the hell is a “grande skim double espresso shot latte with hazelnut syrup”?

I’ve never been to Starbucks… what happens when you go in and just say “coffee, black?”

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- DadRocked
  Posted on December 26, 2012 at 2:09pm
  Monk – I guess that neither of us go to Starbucks… You priced it at $7 a cup and below I priced it at $4… Either way it is more than a cup of joe should cost…
  Hope you had a great Christ Mass…
  
  Report this comment
- Zipit
  Posted on December 26, 2012 at 2:14pm
  Love Starbucks coffee Monk! But all I’ll ever spring for is a med, plain brew for two bucks! Black n hot!! Wonder if that’s (Grounds) to be called a racist!!!
  
  Report this comment
- RJJinGadsden
  Posted on December 26, 2012 at 2:33pm
  Hi MONK, LOL, the only Starbucks that I have ever seen was about thirty miles south of here in Oxford just inside of the Target store. Nothing big, but it was packed every time that I saw it, so I never bothered. When either of us go to Redstone Arsenal we try to stop by the commissary and pick up some German coffee. I drank it black over there too and it drove some Germans batty.
  
  Report this comment
- Zipit
  Posted on December 26, 2012 at 2:47pm
  Lucky you RJJ! I could hit three of them in the space of five minutes! Libs love Starbucks! Try to dress like a beatnick when I go in, just to fit in!
  
  Report this comment
- RJJinGadsden
  Posted on December 26, 2012 at 3:15pm
  ZIPIT, I suppose that if they were common around here I would have tried them long ago. My son gets out more than I do and has had the coffee a lot. After a while he finally said that it was no different to him than those large highway convenience stores with multi-flavored liquid creamers. I’ll stick with the good strong black coffee for the most part. But, on occasion I do use some cream and sugar. LOL, usually only when I go out and the coffee is so weak that it needs at least some flavor.
  
  Report this comment
- RJJinGadsden
  Posted on December 26, 2012 at 3:16pm
  Hey MONK, still thinking about making another pot just to try out that new mug, LOL!
  
  Report this comment
- The-Monk
  Posted on December 26, 2012 at 3:51pm
  Hi DadRocked,
  
  They have a new coffee now that cost $7 per serving. I forget what it’s called.
  
  Saw it on TV.
  
  Report this comment
- DadRocked
  Posted on December 26, 2012 at 3:59pm
  GEEZ…
  I remember being at a Sheetz gas station when a guy was complaining of fuel at $3.75 but holding a starbucks…
  I gave the comparison of the $3.75 vs $28+/gal…
  He looked at me like I was nuts…
  
  But $7 a cup? Wow
  
  Report this comment
term limits for congress
Posted on December 26, 2012 at 1:57pm
Seriously, Liz? You need to tell us what the “fiscal cliff” is. Like it hasn’t been in the news every single day since Nov. 7th. Oh, well…

This is Starbucks in DC – they’ll be writing “pay your fair share for disabled children.” Or, “global warming is caused by white men.” I guarantee they will not write any polically neutral messages.

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- DadRocked
  Posted on December 26, 2012 at 2:11pm
  Living here in Fairfax VA, I see a lot of the license plates that say, “Taxation Without Representation”…
  I don’t go for bumper stickers but I have had one on my car for awhile now to rub it in their faces…
  “Taxation WITH Representation Ain’t No Biggie Either”
  
  Report this comment
Adi0s
Posted on December 26, 2012 at 1:40pm
Stopped buying *$ bc shultz in a big 0bama & occupy_m0vement supporter. His message, to me, really says “republicans – cave in to HIS demands”.

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riddleman
Posted on December 26, 2012 at 1:36pm
I’m glad he still has the freedom to speak out, pulpit, soap box, bag of coffee…

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- 1776freedomofspeech
  Posted on December 26, 2012 at 1:51pm
  Wait til they take away your guns, then your freedom will really become limited, you tender little flower.
  
  Report this comment
- ChildOfTheKing
  Posted on December 26, 2012 at 3:05pm
  No. they don’t want US to have freedoms – just for themselves, don’t ya know.
  
  HYPOCRITES, THEY ARE. PATHETIC BUNCH OF PITIFUL COMMIES.
  
  Report this comment
DadRocked
Posted on December 26, 2012 at 1:29pm
Why is it that people will complain about $4/gallon for gasoline? The same gasoline that gets you a paycheck?

But those same folks will shell out $4 for a 12oz coffee which comes out to $42.68 per gallon…
Just saying…

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- 1776freedomofspeech
  Posted on December 26, 2012 at 1:52pm
  @Dad
  
  You know liberals ain’t good at math.
  
  Report this comment
- Zipit
  Posted on December 26, 2012 at 2:05pm
  Totally agreed dad! I double biotch, cause I usually fill up on one, while I’m filling up on the other!!!!!!
  
  Report this comment
- RobbieTLHughie
  Posted on December 27, 2012 at 10:34am
  Hahahaha, yeah those stupid Liberals! Oh wait, what? Starbucks is run by a mostly conservative board and CEO, oh and the local managers of all the Starbucks here are conservatives? OH WHOOPS HAHA.
  
  Report this comment
banjarmon
Posted on December 26, 2012 at 1:28pm
Beatles song..

“Here come old flat top
He come groovin’ up slowly
He got joo joo eyeballs
He one holy rollers
He got **** down to his knee
Got to be a joker
He just do what he please

He wear no shoeshine
He got toe jam football
He got monkey finger
He shoot Coca Cola
He say I know you, you know me
One thing I can tell you is
You got to be free
Come together, right now
Over me

He bad production
He got walrus gumboot
He got Ono sideboard
He one spinal *******
He got feet down below his knees
Hold you in his armchair
You can feel his disease
Come together, right now
Over me

He roller coaster
He got early warning
He got muddy water
He one Mojo filter
He say one and one and one is three
Got to be good looking
Cause he’s so hard to see
Come together right now
Over me

Come together, yeah
Come together, yeah
Come together, yeah
Come together, yeah
Come together, yeah
Come together, yeah
Come together, yeah
Come together, yeah
Come together, yeah
Come together, yeah”

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- 1776freedomofspeech
  Posted on December 26, 2012 at 1:59pm
  Here comes obama
  He comes groving up slowly
  He got Jew Jew eyeballs
  He one tax rate hiker
  He’s got media down
  On their knees
  Got to be islamic
  He just do what he please
  Vote Republican
  Right Now
  Won’t you please!
  
  Report this comment
- ChildOfTheKing
  Posted on December 26, 2012 at 3:11pm
  @ 1776freedomofspeech:
  
  you are the clear winner here!!!!
  
  Report this comment
- chips1
  Posted on December 26, 2012 at 3:18pm
  1776:
  I almost had the same thing, except , what rhymes with orange?
  
  Report this comment
- tharrym
  Posted on January 1, 2013 at 10:54am
  chips1
  Orange, Door-hindge.
  
  Report this comment
Cavallo
Posted on December 26, 2012 at 1:16pm
How about a dollar tax on every cup of coffee sold in a paper or other portable cup? Lets go over the cliff together.

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- ChildOfTheKing
  Posted on December 26, 2012 at 3:07pm
  Yahoo! Love it!
  
  Actually, I wish we would just go over this cliff and then maybe we can start over and get it right, WITHOUT THE PROGRESSIVE SLAVERY LEADERS.
  
  Report this comment
OldSurfRat
Posted on December 26, 2012 at 1:16pm
Even Starbucks likes bucks and can see what is comming.
Maybe they should send coffee over to keep the senate going until they actually do their job.

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- Mandors
  Posted on December 26, 2012 at 1:58pm
  That would be until the second Tuesday of “ain’t ever going to happen” month.
  
  Report this comment
- OldSurfRat
  Posted on December 26, 2012 at 2:00pm
  LOL Mandors
  
  What year??
  
  Report this comment
- ChildOfTheKing
  Posted on December 26, 2012 at 3:12pm
  It won’t happen because they are also HYPOCRITES. They want everyone to give away free stuff, except for themselves. SICKOS.
  
  Report this comment
- chips1
  Posted on December 26, 2012 at 3:31pm
  Joe Biden gave $137 to charity last year. If that had gone to paying down the National Debt, we wouldn’t be in this crisis.
  
  Report this comment
RJJinGadsden
Posted on December 26, 2012 at 1:09pm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNSy4DX60vk

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- BlazeGlory
  Posted on December 26, 2012 at 1:30pm
  Not one of my favorite Beatles songs but, none the less, a lot better than paying exorbitant prices for coffee.
  
  Report this comment
- OldSurfRat
  Posted on December 26, 2012 at 1:37pm
  RJJ
  
  I like this versionof this beatles song. It has more of a bite!
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0CCOqNV_LE
  
  Report this comment
- RJJinGadsden
  Posted on December 26, 2012 at 3:29pm
  OLDSURFRAT, know that well. Have been an SRV fan for close to three decades. I’m sure you are familiar with the movie Blackhawk Down? I bought the DVD the Tuesday afternoon that it was made available. Took me quite a while to finally figure out then look it up, but the version of Voodoo Child is SRV’s and Hendrix. Having been a Hendrix fan since the mid ’60s I should have known better, but it is hard to tell.
  
  Report this comment
- RJJinGadsden
  Posted on December 26, 2012 at 3:32pm
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sF2ZqlPNuqU
  
  Report this comment
1776freedomofspeech
Posted on December 26, 2012 at 1:08pm
Because they are advocates of joint sexual satisfaction?

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