Striking video shows an attempted robbery of a convenience store in Oregon by a hatchet-wielding maniac being thwarted by a brave and responsible store clerk carrying a firearm (below), which is a reasonable thing to carry in his profession. Obviously, considering it just saved his life.

But the store disagrees, and in response to his brave act of defiance the clerk was fired, rather than rewarded, because he was carrying that firearm.

The president of Plaid Pantry in Oak Grove told Portland CBS affiliate KOIN that the stores have "a zero tolerance for weapons and the clerk is no longer employed there. He said employees are trained to de-escalate robbery situations to avoid injury."

The attempted robbery was back on April 28th, but police released the surveillance video on Friday. It's remarkable. So is the statement the police released with the video.

"We'd like to reunite you with the hatchet you left behind after the clerk responded with a handgun and a 911 call and you fled the scene," wrote Sgt. Marcus Mendoza in the press release.



Watch:



Notice the calm and responsible manner in which the clerk handles the weapon. He doesn't even point it at the would-be robber (or would-be worse). He picks up the phone and calls 911. The man places his weapon on the counter. Police said when he did so he told the clerk, "I'm sorry. I'll leave."

When the crook fled, the clerk didn't chase after him firing a hail of bullets. The investigation was left to the police.

It was in every way a responsible and smart example of someone doing the exact thing that was the philosophical and moral basis for the Second Amendment in the first place, despite all protest to the contrary from gun grabbers. That is, he defended life and property, as is the inherent right of any human being.

But not according to the Plaid Pantry. At the Right Scoop, a very good point: "(I)f he's gonna demand that his employees not carry any weapons to defend themselves, then he needs to put them behind a bulletproof window or something."

Another good point from Chris Loesch on Twitter: "I'd rather be fired than dead."

They are simply disallowing self-preservation. Which is sort of a microcosm of the debate at large, don't you think?