There's a pawn shop south of 54th Street, not too terribly far from Roseholme Cottage; too far for a convenient stroll, but within easy bike jaunt.
It's one of those chain pawn shops; the staff all perky, young, and dressed in matching corporate-logo'ed polo shirts. They don't sell firearms, and the staff certainly doesn't carry any; it's probably against corporate policy.
Yesterday morning, shortly before 11AM, two guys burst in waving gats and stuck the joint up. Fortunately, the only casualty was one employee who broke for the exit and got a cap busted, quite literally, in his ass as he headed for the horizon.
I've been in there quite a few times, checking out the DVD or video game selection. Having seen the nature of some of the clientele, who mostly look like a casting call for extras in Get Rich or Die Tryin' II, frankly I'm surprised it's taken this long for the place to make the six o'clock news. I mean, it's not like there's any danger of anyone shooting back.
CashAmerica started that crap, and most of the chains have copied it...turning a business wherein the stock and trade inevitably attract many with nothing to lose and (they think) much to gain, into a cookie-cutter retailer staffed by freshfaced young things and giving them the old "don't resist, give 'em what they want, and by no means carry any form of protection" corporate spiel. That's great for corporate, limits liability and lets the insurance handle any losses, but not so great for the helpless targets behind the counter.
ReplyDeleteI never in more than three decades had a gun pulled on me, and never pulled one myself. I like to think that the cases and racks of guns, the Glock on the hip of my ex-cop employee, the gun that everyone correctly assumed was in my pocket, and the shortie 870 under the counter, had some role in that record.
The kids in that store were lucky; the scums knew there would be no armed resistance as sure as if there was one of those big red "no guns" signs on the door. And they proved they came in ready to shoot. Eventually one or more of those young 'uns will pay for this policy with their lives.
When gunplay is involved anything can happen, and armed and prepared good guys might still come out on the losing end...but at least they wouldn't go down like a sitting duck in a shooting gallery.
AT
It is scary hearing my son, currently in the clutches of the public elementary education cycle, discuss why you would not need a gun. When I was his age I had several cap guns and could not wait to get a better gun.
ReplyDeleteThese kids in those stores are not even aware of the fact they are targets.
Scary world we are living in. America can not long withstand this.
"It is scary hearing my son, currently in the clutches of the public elementary education cycle, discuss why you would not need a gun."
ReplyDeleteI can tell you firsthand they indoctrinate them early. My teachers imbued me with extremely liberal views from first grade on. And unfortunately, a well behaved child usually will not question authority in cases that they should, because they have been taught to obey the teacher and school administrators.
I finally started learning how the real world works around 5th grade through middle school and was pretty libertarian by high school. I had a lot of unlearning to do, and I can easily see how most younger people are liberal, because they were indoctrinated early on and never had a counterpoint and never learned to really think on their own.
Which is why I homeschool.
ReplyDeleteThe salty gal who works at a pawn shop a friend of mine owns has two notches in her shotgun stock.
ReplyDeleteShe knows where her checks come from, and who signs them.