Starbucks Offering Free Coffee, Show Lawmakers How to Work as a Team

Come together.

That's what Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz wants lawmakers to do in order to end the government shutdown and resolve the political gridlock. 

He is so firm in this belief he is giving away free coffee to customers who display acts of kindness that bring people together.

From Wednesday to Friday, the coffee chain is offering a free tall brewed coffee to any customer in the U.S. who buys another person their favorite beverage at Starbucks.

The offer is a way to help fellow citizens "support and connect with one another, even as we wait for our elected officials to do the same for our country," Schultz said in a memo to staff on Tuesday.

"A customer buys the next person in line their favorite beverage—not as an act of charity or thanks—but an acknowledgement of commonality and humanity," he said. "The gesture is small, but the act is endlessly inspiring."

Schultz wrote he wants to do something about Americans' uncertainty in lawmakers regarding the federal government shutdown fiasco, the pending debt and default crisis and waning consumer confidence.

"In times like these, a small act of generosity and civility can make a big difference," says an ad being published in The New York Times, Washington Post and USA Today on Wednesday. "#payitforward—and lets see what can happen."

It's not the first time Schultz has joined the national political debate. In 2011, he asked other chief executives to join him in stopping campaign contributions until politicians ended partisan bickering. The CEOs of more than 100 companies, from AOL to Zipcar, took the pledge.

If you support it, head into your local Starbucks and be a part of #payitforward.

Do you think this will work? Tell us why or why not in the comments section.