Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Excuse for firing clerk over gun defense reeks of corporate double-talk

“At Nouria Energy, our employees are our most cherished assets,” they unctuously proclaim on their website home page. “Their safety and the safety of our customers is priority number one.” 

Somehow, the immortal line spoken by John Vernon in “The Outlaw Josey Wales” comes to mind. [More]
This afternoon’s Gun Rights Examiner report notes gutless corporate management sure makes those gas station stores convenient – for predators.

4 comments:

Ed said...

I read about this today in the Boston Globe:

http://www.boston.com/news/local/new-hampshire/2013/10/16/clerk-fired-for-using-gun-thwart-robber/N3q9BK046ITvycp1hSwlpM/story.html?comments=all#comments

The clerk was not fired for pulling the gun on the knife-wielding robber, but for possessing a gun. Period.

I would like to say that this is an example of a Massachusetts company (Nouria Energy, the Worcester owner of the gas stations operating in several states) asserting their culture in New Hampshire, but the policy of restricting employees from carrying weapons is fairly common nationwide in the chain convenience store and gas station industry.

It is cheaper to pay the insurance costs, workman’s comp claims and replace minimum wage clerks when they get seriously injured or killed during robberies than to pay out wrongful death settlements to armed robbers who get shot during the commission of the armed robberies. Customers injured by store employees defending their lives? Well, they are "rogues" who violated their terms of employment. Customers injured and killed by the armed robbers in stores that have a “no armed employees” policies? The store owners attempt to absolve themselves of any responsibility, as they believe that they in no way contributed to the injuries and deaths, yet the owners are responsible by "welcoming" the robberies with their "no weapons for employees" policies.

Read the 200+ comments to the Boston Globe story and you will shake your head. The utter contempt held by many for the safety of the individual and their right to self defense and the possession of effective means of self defense is incredible. The sheep are just as frightened by the sheep dogs as they are frightened by wolves.

Ned said...

That would, of course, be: Don't piss down my back and tell me it's raining.

Ned said...

Figured I'd try to post what I sent them here, since it likely won't make it past the Disqus censor. I had to use David's John Vernon quote in the letter:

Dear Sirs/Mesdames,

Regarding the firing of Shannon Cothran, and the lame excuse posted on this website for firing him:

Do you people really think that what you are doing makes the least bit of sense?

You fired an employee, who, thankfully, is still alive, even after having his life threatened by a knife-wielding assailant.

At the same time, you advertise an alleged “secure career” while trolling for new employees on your website.

You had the chance to publicly congratulate Shannon. That would have sent the message to bad guys that his actions were supported by you idiots. Instead, you canned him. This matter has now been made public in every possible medium.

Now, every criminal knows that your “career” minded employees have been effectively disarmed by you morons, and at the same time, you have set your stores up as easy pickens by armed criminals.

If the criminal happens to be someone with two strikes, and wants to leave no witnesses, your employees and customers are, now, in serious danger of being murdered, without any fear of immediate retribution.

Once that happens, I believe you hollow claim “our employees are our most cherished assert” will (rightfully) be met with much skepticism by jurors in the civil cases brought against your company. I sincerely hope that any survivors or family members of the victims sue your company into oblivion.

Now, neither I, my family, nor anyone I know, will continue to, or ever be, customers at any of your businesses. Thankfully, you post a helpful store locator on your website.

That locator helps criminals find your businesses, and helps former customers avoid your store.

In sum, re the Shannon Cothran firing: Don't piss down my back and tell me it's raining.

Self defense is a natural right. Discouraging a natural right is unnatural, and, in my opinion, should carry criminal, instead of merely civil, repercussions.

In the mean time, adios to Nouria Energy businesses.

Ned said...

Ed wrote:
"Read the 200+ comments to the Boston Globe story and you will shake your head. The utter contempt held by many for the safety of the individual and their right to self defense and the possession of effective means of self defense is incredible. The sheep are just as frightened by the sheep dogs as they are frightened by wolves."

Don't try to understand them, Ed.

And forget trying to reason with them.

It's like they're from a different universe.