Licensee unjustly fired for defending his life. What to do.

[drjoker]

A porr kid was fired from Papa John's in Lufkin, TX for defending his life. Here is the story:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,443822,00.html

I invite you to write a letter to the Papa John:

John Schnatter
2002 Papa Johns Boulevard
Louisville, KY 40299

This is what my letter will say:

Dear Mr. Schnatter,

The Papa John's in Lufkin Texas had fired an employee for defending his life from murderous robbers. Instead of commending him, Papa John's has fired him for violating the corporate weapons policy. You might be surprised to find that the right to self-defense is a basic human right. This employee had a legal gun permit that required an extensive police background check in order to attain. Statisically, it is probably more likely for you to win the lottery than for you to be attacked by people who have passed this extensive background check at the age of 21 (the legal age to get a gun license in Texas). Per 2006 statistics from the Dept of Public Safety (police) in Texas, the general population over age 21 is 8 times more likely to commit assault than a concealed handgun licensee. The general population over age 21 is 63 times more likely to commit robbery than a licensee. 2 percent of Texans are licensees. We have friends and family. Therefore, if we were to boycott Papa John's, then you should be prepared to lose about 8 to 10 percent of your business in Texas. Various internet forums serve as a free and easy method to organize such boycotts. I invite you to hire back the poor pizza delivery driver back and pay him any applicable lost wages. Failure to do so by Dec 11 will result in a boycott. I genuinely love eating Papa John's pizza and I want to continue ordering your pizza. That's why I am doing this. I invite you to do the right thing. If you are concerned about your insurance premiums, then just show them the Dept of Pub Safety statistics and change the language to ban only UNLICENSED weapons. If your insurance carrier will not go for it, then contact the NRA's insurance. I'm sure they will be more than happy to replace your current insurer. All of this legal stuff takes time, but rehiring that delivery driver will only take a 1 minute phone call to Lufkin, Texas.

Dept of Pub Safety Stats:
http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/administra ... vrates.htm

NRA Insurer:
http://www.locktonrisk.com/nrains/contact.asp

Thank you for doing the right thing,
XXX XXX

An avalanche of letters to corporate cannot be ignored. I invite you to do so now! PM me a copy of your letter and I will mail the first few letter writers a coupon for pizza after Papa Johns rehires this kid.

PM if you want to eat free pizza for just wearing red white and blue clothes and an empty open carrry holster in front of the Pappa John's in Lufkin, Texas.

[Keith B]

You do realize this happened over a year ago?

[surprise_i'm_armed]

drjoker,

The content of your letter should give the company something to think about.

As an editorial comment, a letter or thread entry is much more readable if you
hit the space bar once in a while and leave some white space.

Giant paragraphs without white space are unpleasing to read.

SIA

[Oldgringo]

surprise_i'm_armed wrote:

Giant paragraphs without white space are unpleasing to read.

Not only are they unpleasing to read, giant paragraphs are difficult to read and follow; ergo, they are largely unread.

[AEA]

As much as I appreciate your effort, this particular incident occurred Thursday, October 23, 2008

So I doubt that you made any headway.

Best to read stories (and dates) carefully before deciding to take action on them.

I too have been guilty of this (in the past) and it has caused me to always stop and think a bit, do some research, etc.......before jumping in.

[srothstein]

Not only was the article a year old, but even more important is the fact that I cannot find anything in it that says he was fired. Am I missing something (quite possible) or is there a later story that makes this point?

I would hate to threaten a boycott if the driver was not fired. I would also want to boycott the right company (the corporate policy or the franchisee's policy makes a big difference).

[drjoker]

I didn't realize that there is a statute of limitations on protesting against injustice. Yes, this happened over a year ago, but you might be surprised to find that we have to combat those who would take away our freedoms no matter when the injustice was perpetrated. I mean, why should anyone have to choose between staying alive and feeding their family?

I had called Papa John's the other day and verified that they did fire the guy. You may verify this. Just call your local Papa John's and ask what their corporate weapons policy is. They'll tell you that you will be terminated if you are found to be carrying a weapon while working at Papa John's.

However, you do make a valid point. I shouldn't ask Papa John's to rehire the guy. I mean, he probably already found a new job. Instead, I think Papa John's should write a letter of apology and pay his wages for the period of time that he was unexpectedly unemployed.

What good is a CHL if all your employers will fire you if you're caught ? I mean what good is saving your life if your family will die of starvation due to your unemployment anyways? I know lots of guys carry on the job even though their corporate policy forbids it. The next letter we write to protest a firing could be YOURS. I invite you to help YOURSELF out by writing a letter to Papa John's. Yes, a letter, not an email. Emails are easily deleted, but a pile of letters in front of John Schnatter's (the John of Papa John's) office cannot be ignored.

Thanks.

P.S. I invite you to text, phone, and email ALL your friends about this letter writing campaign. We must get the word out. Thanks.

[flynbenny]

Papa John's is pretty specific in their training videos and papers that everyone is prohibited from having any weapons (somehow they failed to pass that on to the robbers). Some of my co-workers had been robbed especially in Addison. You'd be surprised how many drivers carry, I used to work for Papa Johns here in DFW, many of us including myself decided that we would rather be fired than dead. I like Mr. Schnatter and the ethics his company is built around, but the people in their safe, guarded office in KY have no right to make decisions affecting my personal safety. I was a very careful driver and never took suspicous orders or went to bad areas after dark, but that 642 or my PPK was mighty comforting. You have to be careful, and it sure doesn't help with that giant lit up 'rob me!' sign on top of the car. You have to be condition orange pretty much anytime you go out of the store.

That guy did the right thing; IMHO he should have used a bigger gun...anyone who would rob a hardworking guy for a measly $20 and some hot pizza deserves to have their ticket punched.

He did violate a very cleary stated company policy. I think its wrong and stupid to fire a guy for protecting his life, but he had to know it and took the chance, like me and many others did and do. He has his life and his dignity, and that's what counts.

[MoJo]

Like several posters have stated the guy violated company policy. If he had been caught using drugs, drinking on the job etc. He would have been fired also my question to you is would you have been so fired up under these firings? I don't think the firing was an injustice just stupid company policy.

[ELB]

If he had been caught using drugs, drinking on the job etc. He would have been fired also my question to you is would you have been so fired up under these firings? ...

So carrying a concealed handgun under authority of a CHL to defend your own life is the equivalent of drug abuse or drinking on the job? REALLY?

[MoJo]

If he had been caught using drugs, drinking on the job etc. He would have been fired also my question to you is would you have been so fired up under these firings? ...

So carrying a concealed handgun under authority of a CHL to defend your own life is the equivalent of drug abuse or drinking on the job? REALLY?

Yes, if it is a violation of company policy, right or wrong, and if they didn't fire him for the gun then all the druggies and winos who were fired would have to be re hired. It is an employers right to prohibit employees from carrying firearms just like it is the right of a business to prohibit guns on their property.

Believe me I'll never buy a Poppa John's Pizza again. Anyone with a CHL who hires on with an anti-gun company has already made their own bed. I know the job market is tight right now but, no one forced him to go to work there.

ELB your profile says you are retired military, you should know the rules are the rules, right or wrong, just or unjust. A lot of companies have some really chicken rules just as the military has. If you were on Fort Hood when that jihadist Major started firing and you engaged him with a personal weapon, you would have been court martialed and probabily sent to Leavenworth. Same thing.

[Reloader]

Richards Davis, founder of 2nd chance vests, was robbwd as a pizza delivery man, prompting him to invent the bullet resistant vest.

[Hos]

I had an old high school friend killed as a delivery guy many years ago. Ambushed while walking to the gang's door late at night. Sad that a corporation is more worried about being sued then helping their employees with CHL's protect themselves.

Thanks for sending the letter. Might as well do it on every anniversary that this particular event happened in the memory of all the delivery guys who've senselessly died over the years.

[9mmfan]

There is a similar story in the well respected tome "Thank God I Had A Gun, True Stories of Self Defense" by Chris Bird. He has penned another book, "The Concealed Handgun Manual", that I would highly suggest that all newbies to the area of CC read. I myself am relatively new to this, and will read it again. Never hurts to go over the basics, and to be reminded of the specifics.

[Dudley]

So carrying a concealed handgun under authority of a CHL to defend your own life is the equivalent of drug abuse or drinking on the job? REALLY?

It is to the antigunners. For the rest of us it's like being fired for having a book or jewelry that violates company policy.