The Waffle House restaurant chain fired a waitress from one of its franchises in Georgia on Saturday after she used a gun to scare away three men who robbed the branch of $200.
Heather Burkinshaw-Stanley was let go just two days after she fired her gun while chasing three men who robbed the restaurant in Newnan, Georgia, WSB-TV reported.
Stanley claimed that she was only trying to protect the store and her colleagues.
A spokesperson for Waffle House would not comment on personnel matters.
It’s just incredible. You have to wonder why the story didn’t read like this:
The Waffle House restaurant chain awarded and praised a waitress from one of its franchises in Georgia. The celebratory press conference was held on Saturday after she used a gun to scare away three men who robbed the branch of $200.00.
Some other relevant facts, according to the Daily Mail story:
The waitress fired a gun in the air to scare away three men who robbed the restaurant;
The men threatened to kill everyone in the restaurant early Thursday morning; one of the men handed a note to a waitress threatening to shoot everyone in the restaurant unless they received all the money in the cash register;
She was fired on Saturday, two days after the robbery took place.
Do you admire this waitress for what she did? Would you hope that you could do the same, in her position? Or do you think the Waffle House is right to fire and shun her? If you think the latter, what the hell is wrong with you?
You might think the Waffle House is scared to praise the waitress for defending herself, their restaurant and their customers. If so, then scared of what? We still have a Second Amendment. It’s Georgia, not downtown San Francisco or Manhattan, where guns are despised. The opportunity to champion something important is crucial, before those opportunities vanish altogether. The waitress did her part, primarily for the purpose of saving her own life, as she was entirely justified in doing, since there’s no way of knowing if any robber might open fire. This robber threatened to open fire, giving anyone with a weapon the right to defend him- or herself.
The problem is one that no election can resolve. Note that this incident occurred after Donald Trump’s victory. If people don’t feel they have the right to defend their lives, their property and their businesses, then liberty becomes irrelevant. Sheepish, frightened people don’t want liberty and will eventually stop demanding it. Of course, women like this heroic waitress do feel they have such a right. But many businesses no longer share that opinion, at least if the Waffle House is any indication.
Perhaps the Waffle House is checking with its lawyers to see if the waitress violated any state or federal laws. Maybe they’re worried about civil or criminal liability. And they’re entitled to watch their interests. But this dramatic circumstance also can and should be an opportunity to say, “We have to take a look at our laws. If it’s against the law to defend your private property against an intruder, then it’s no longer America.” If people won’t take a stand against the anti-gun, anti-liberty bullies and hacks we allow to rule us through government, academia and media, then haven’t the bullies and hacks won?
We can’t only blame Obama for this one. The issue is deeper than that. When companies or individuals don’t even emotionally respond the right way to a crisis, on the uncompromising premise that life and property come first and foremost, even before any politically correct stance, then we’re truly finished.
The nasty little mentality whose hatred of guns trumps its defense of individual and property rights won out with Waffle House, who chose to fire this heroic waitress for exercising her right to self-defense. And it’s truly sad. Because businesses attempting to operate at a profit and survive in a free country have the most to lose by surrendering our liberties. Criminals win. Hopefully a lot of people will come to this waitress’ legal rescue and she’ll emerge just fine, in the end. A point will be made and a high Court might even uphold her right – in the process, all of our rights – to defend our lives, businesses and property. But fear of that nasty little mentality is the thing that has been bringing us down, and that’s the thing that has to change, most of all.
Not that I’m gloomy. The Waffle House shows how far gone our society is, on the corporate, educational, and legal level. But this brave waitress indicates just how much fire and spirit still exists in the American heartland. Liberty and freedom can flourish so long as there’s even one man or woman standing left to defend them.
Follow Dr. Hurd on Facebook. Search under “Michael Hurd” (Rehoboth Beach DE). Get up-to-the-minute postings, recommended articles and links, and engage in back-and-forth discussion with Dr. Hurd on topics of interest. Also follow Dr. Hurd on Twitter at @MichaelJHurd1
Dr. Hurd’s writings read on the air by Rush Limbaugh! Read more HERE.