"The charming bouquet bandit, who handed a bunch of flowers to a frightened teller when he robbed a Manhattan bank, has been connected to a second heist," reporters Christina Boyle and Jonathan Lemire tell us:
His weapon in that stickup was a potted plant.
No, this isn't a satire piece from The Onion, although as far as gun owners are concerned, the New York Daily News is as big of a sick joke site.
That urbane reporters characterize the robber as "charming" is our first clue to a massive worldview disconnect from those of us who instead consider him an immoral thug, one who deserves to have that damn pot planted up his...
The reactions of conditioned Bloomberg Paradise inmates are equally absurd. They call the flowers "a nice touch" and "applaud his brazenness." They "think he was very creative."
I'm reminded of the scene from Woody Allen's "Take the Money and Run," where bank employees from the teller to top management argue over whether robber Virgil Starkwell's holdup note says he has "a gun" or "a gub."
So what am I suggesting? Wouldn't it be dangerous for a real-life teller to call a robber's bluff? Aren't they instructed by bank policy to hand the money over? After all, it's not theirs and it's insured. It can be replaced. Lives can't.
Isn't the standard instruction from all the "experts" to just give predators what they want?
Perhaps, and then pray what they want doesn't involve taking more than loot. But it's ironic, don't you think, that we'd trust someone--so depraved they would threaten our lives unless we do what they order--to then behave rationally and humanely?
And isn't it telling to note how many heirs of Liberty will allow themselves to literally be taken hostage by just the hint of aggression, and do nothing but timidly obey? And how others will then offer props for creative predation?
So much for deterrence. So much for "the security of a free State."
I guess some of us will never have the right temperament to work in a bank, or any other position that requires compliant victimhood as a condition of employment.
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Comments
Or a pizza delivery service.
Any employer who violates your right to be armed at all times is your enemy and is a lethal danger to you. Find someone to work for who wouldn't approve of your death. Read also: tinyurl.com/27swl53
Gee, David, that's a scary proposition. Taking on the lofty responsibility for my own personal safety?
Crime-Safety-Security.com gives me this advice: "In all for survival: you should remain calm, cooperate, show compassion and respect to the captor, and don’t lose faith that the police will rescue you." and this: "People targeted in a shooting rampage should flee toward outdoor exits rather than windowless, dead-end rooms. If trapped in a first-floor room use furniture or anything to smash a window, if necessary, to allow escape. Also, if possible, use a fire extinguisher to spray a dense fog to block a shooter’s view as you escape."
Well. that's good enough for me. I'm going one step further though. I've started carrying a "spork" to up my chances of survival even more.
Hey there,
Bank policies during robberies are schizophrenic:
1. Tellers are told to comply for all the reasons listed in the article.....................HOWEVER....
2. Banks have armed guards, which quite often pull their weapons and engage in fire fights with said armed robbers.
Which is it please?:
Comply and be safe, or pull the side arm and start shooting?
It all kinda just doesn't make any sense: rather like Modern American Society and Politics.
Cheers.
Awesome, Chicago and surrounding areas are handing out whistles and people are being told to just give the "criminals" what they want...I have a daughter and a lady that I love very much. Why would I tell them to just "Spread your legs dear, it will be over soon." Are you kidding me...again David you hit the nail on the frickin head. NO MORE PEOPLE! Stop being sheep, stop simply GIVING IN to peoples demands on YOUR freedom!
If you really care for your loved ones you will teach them to defend themselves when necessary and to avoid trouble and above all...NEVER GIVE UP!
A criminal is a criminal no matter how charming some people might think he is. He still used implied intimidation to get what he wanted potted flowers or not. wimps want everyone else to be wimps so they won't stand out as the easiest targets. In my neighborhood my house is the least likely to be broken into because everyone knows they will have to fight for what they want to steal. so they break into my neighbors houses rather routinely and my neighbors fill out police reports, insurance reports, take the deductible loss, and wait in fear to be broken into the next time. That is not a world I want to live in and refuse to. Steal my stuff and I am coming after you. This robber should be hunted down just like any other robber and jailed. End of story.
My solution to predators; a double tap with a 357Sig.
Col. Jeff Cooper was about as much of an expert on violence and proper response to same as you can get. He suggested that violence be met with greater violence sufficient to the task of ending the fight decisively and in your favor. And to those who would suggest that violence never solved anything, you should take that up with the next Carthaginian you meet. Oops, my bad! They're all dead. The Romans killed them all. Perhaps not the best solution but it did solve their problem.
Serial killer Richard Speck murdered 8 nurses in Chicago in the 60s. One more nurse hid under the bed. He told them he wasn't going to hurt them. None of them fought back.
Henry Bowman says:
Or a pizza delivery service.
I resemble that remark ;).
Being retired at a young age, I took a job delivering pizza part time. I refuse to work for the big name pizza chains as they are anti-gun. I work for a small shop and our owner, a naturalized citizen from Bosnia, is all for me going armed. A guy I know that worked for one of the big name chains, was robbed at gunpoint. He got the upper hand and shot the miscreant 3 times with his gun that he carried in a pocket. He was fired. Can't have the employees defending themselves. Company policy and all.
I'll stay with the job and boss that I have. If someday I am robbed, the cash is in this pocket, Right next to my 45.
Many folks perhaps over estimate their ability to effectively engage a seasoned criminal? We certainly would all be wise to review video of what transpired during last weeks murder of Chicago Officer Sotoberg.
Sotoberg was an eleven year combat training officer, killed by a large black convict that somehow managed to take control of the officers' weapon...the life or death struggle took place in the precinct police parking lot.
In contrast, three months ago, I saw a small man fend off 2 (200lb) gang attired attackers by pulling out of his pocket and firing a small caliber pistol 4 times. Why did this "ordinary" citizens' situational awareness and action save him while the officers vast experience failed. (Hopefully, Chicago PD will release surveillance tape and lesson learned?)
This will certainly annoy many of you...but, I trust Jesus to keep me safe in a cell with 200 inmates or patrolling a dark alley connecting crime infested projects.
No Fear-mindset of a free man
Call me sick, twisted and perverted, but I think the idea of a charming, bouquet-carrying bandit and a smiling victim is cute.
And I'd be ROFLMAO.
But really. Could you think of a better, easier way to get money? (I hesitate to say "earn" a living) Your sheeple victims are already unarmed and conditioned to be compliant to your demands.
Yes, it's wrong to steal others' hard-earned efforts / money.
But it IS excellent entertainment, as the inkompetant Keystone Kops chase this charming Gentleman Bandit around town, attempting to catch him. I wonder how long it will be before he's caught?
Color me . . . amused.
There's plenty of video of peaceful submissive people, being shot or having their throats cut, just because the bad guy wants to do so. There is also plenty of video of police and consultants and lawyers, telling everyone who will listen, not to resist, ever, and the reason is always based on escalation and cost/benefit, not to mention that there will be lawsuits.
When you get killed/injured on the job, it's an on the job injury or death it's "part" of the job. When you kill a BG before he can murder you, everybody who ever knew the suspect is going to sue everybody you've ever known, including those you were working for.
You're just not as valuable as your murderer is. Besides, if you start removing robbers and murderers from the lawyer's resources, how will the lawyer ever make the big time settlements that will allow them to retire to their very own private island? Not to mention the shrinkage of government in general!
Oprah (I was at the gym and it was on) just had a guest. Stalking and rape victim. Rapist -- she seemed to be saying ex-boyfriend -- got out of prison and no one told her. Started stalking her again, ended up shooting her three times in the face with a shotgun. She's had eight surgeries to rebuild her face. The "expert" recommends calling the National Domestic Violence Hotline if you're being stalked.
Uh, no.
Don't know if this woman was prohibited from owning/carrying a gun where she lives, or if she just "doesn't want to lower herself to that level." You see where passivity got her.
Taking what's not yours by violence or implied threat of violence, like the bank robber, should entail pain. Lots and lots of pain.
Somebody else mentioned it earlier on another similar thread of David's but it bears repeating here. The post mentioned in passing the Eloi and Morlocks in H. G. Wells novel "The Time Machine". The Eloi were one group of decendants of what had once been humanity but had had all of the will to resist bred out of them. The Morlocks were the decendants of the other group and used the Eloi as prey animals. Not to far off some of the "sheeple" and "goblins" we see today.
DDS, "The New Eloi" was my second Guns and Ammo piece, published in their Jan. 2000 issue. Unfortunately, it is not archived on their site and they own the copyright, so I can't repro it anywhere.
David Codrea-Gun Rights Examiner says:
DDS, "The New Eloi" was my second Guns and Ammo piece, published in their Jan. 2000 issue. Unfortunately, it is not archived on their site and they own the copyright, so I can't repro it anywhere.
Not a bit surprised, David! Being one step ahead of the pack is one reason you're "National Gun Rights Examiner" and the rest of us schlubs just post here. Keep up the excellent work!
P.S. I'm going to dig through my back issues and check out that article.
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