Fellow gun owner needs help (copied form AR15.com)

[Rotty]

(copied from AR15.com) I do NOT know any of the involved parties, but his type of stuff steams me!

Fellow AR15.com Family,

A friend of mine, Paul, lost his job today at Disney World in Orlando after working there for 33 years. Not only did he lose his job, but Disney also informed him that he would not be receiving his retirement after 33 years of loyal service.

The reason Paul lost his job was that someone broke into his car, rummaged through and stole some of his belongings, and found his Keltec P-32, a .32 semi-automatic pistol, in the car. The person(s) who broke into his car left the passenger door open and the pistol laying in plain view in the passenger side seat of his car. Another Disney employee reported that they saw the door open and that there was a gun inside. Upon reporting this to Disney security, security found out that it was an employee’s car that had the gun in it.

The Orange County Sheriff’s office was called out to investigate and found that Paul had broken no laws. He gladly cooperated with the authorities. Paul has a concealed carry permit in Florida, and in 33 years never once carried his pistol into his workplace. He has a long commute from Cocoa Beach and travels through some rough areas at times. I know I don’t have to justify the need for carrying a firearm to all of you, but he kept the pistol in his vehicle for personal protection for the long commute.

Paul is not seeking any punitive damages or to even be reinstated as an employee of Disney. All he wants is his retirement that he has EARNED over the last 33 years. Not once in 33 years of employment at Disney was he ever reprimanded, written-up, or suspended. This good man dedicated 33 years of his life providing excellent service to this company to have his retirement ripped out from under his feet just because some thug broke into his car and found a legally owned handgun the man carried in his vehicle only for personal protection.

Any and all assistance you could provide in this matter would be tremendously appreciated. If you are an attorney, grassroots activist, 2nd Amendment rights advocate, or just someone who wishes to help a good man, please let me know. Thank you in advance for any assistance.

-Jason (BigDawg308)

Facts about Paul:

Paul is 67-years-old.
Paul is a GOOD, Christian man.
Paul is a loving, faithful husband of over 35+ years.
Paul is a grandfather to 6 wonderful grandkids.
Paul is a good citizen with a Florida concealed carry permit.
Paul is a member of the NRA.
Paul is in need of our help.

 

[deadin]

This one has not only pegged my BS meter, it bent the needle.

 

[AKAMac]

Another Disney employee reported that they saw the door open and that there was a gun inside. Upon reporting this to Disney security, security found out that it was an employee’s car that had the gun in it.

(1)If there is any suspicion then the WWoD would look at the cameras they have in every lot they own.
(2)I just wonder what his retirement benefits would save Sony.
(3)Guns are always left at the scene of a break-in. It is illegal to possess a stolen firearm.
(4)I smell fish cooking.
Mac

 

[Jim K]

I never heard of a thief who passed up taking a gun, but if this did happen, he needs a pit bull attorney. He may be on shaky ground if Disney has a "no weapons" policy, but he could probably win in court, as juries in that area would love to sock it to Mickey Mouse.

FWIW, nobody who has a case against the big boys should state up front that they "only" want the job back, or "only" want a pension. Sue for a hundred gazillion bucks for everything you can think of, and settle for what you can get, like the job back with back pay or pension, plus your attorney's fees. With the right attorney, the fat cats will jump at the chance to settle for peanuts rather than take the PR heat.

Jim

 

[knoxx45]

if this is not BS

Paul is a member of the NRA.

Paul should contact the NRA and see if their civil defense team would be interested in looking into his case. I donate $50 from each paycheck to the NRA Civil Defense fund for just this type of situation. They have a team of lawyers who specialize in firearms law. ALSO, the NRA would be able to put perssure on on them as they are a large politically powerful group. Now I don't know if the Civil Defense team takes on civil cases, or just criminal cases, but I think that it would be a good place to start.

 

[cassandrasdaddy]

someone broke in my restaurant

and left my remington 742 30-06 after removing it from my case.unusual but it happens

 

[sumpnz]

Assuming this situation is true, it seems to me that it would be a classic example of why an employee's car should be considered an extension of their castle, and so long as the gun never leaves the car while on company parking lots, and is otherwise stored per any state laws, and employer should not be able to prohibit said gun. Just to keep the companies happy, make them immune from civil damages if the employee uses the gun criminally or negligently.

That said, it does peg the 'ol BS meter that a thief would leave a gun behind. Even if startled, I'd think he still make sure he grabbed it, since guns are so easilly sold on the black market (never mind the fact that he could have used it to facilitate an escape from whoever came upon the scene). It'd probably be worth more than even a fancy stereo on the street.

 

[Double Naught Spy]

According to Furious Styles in the other (closed) thread on this incident, we should have heard about the case. The post was August 26.

Well, we'll know shortly. Supposedly, this whole thing is breaking some time this week.

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=217892&highlight=disney+pension

So why didn't things break? What is the current status of the event?

 

[possum]

the bad guy probally was a smart guy and hey maybe a gun nut like us and saw that it was a little .32 and didn't want nothing to do with it. You know if it ain't a 9 yo or better known as a "glock 9 mofo" it will take away from his gangsterness! just think if a drug deal goes bad, and he is holding a little kel-tec .32 sideways with one hand and holding up his britches with the other, he will probally be laughed at and shot, which would be just fine. one less scum bag on the streets!

 

[cbsbyte]

Sounds like a cock & bull story. Even if it was true, which at best is remote, I doubt he would could do much about his retirement plan if DW has a no gun policy. Private property their rules. I do know they have signs up at all park entrances, stating no firearms. One even has to be searched before entering. Though I believe you can leave the gun in the car in the parking lot. Though there are probably different, and stricter rules for empolyees and sub-contractors that work at the park.

 

[rangerruck]

post a phon, fax, and email link here so we can flood their shores!

 

[knuckles]

One even has to be searched before entering.

CBS, do you mean as an employee? Because visitors are most certainly not searched

 

[Car Knocker]

post a phon, fax, and email link here so we can flood their shores!

I think I'll wait until I know that this isn't total BS. No sense in jumping in their s**t if this never happened.

 

[hso]

They don't search people coming in to Disney. They do ask to look in your bag/purse/backpack.

 

[f4t9r]

Once again one of the first things to come out is this is BS.
He's not asking for your money or guns so why not back off.
Get a good lawyer and I hope he wins the battle.

 

[cbsbyte]

CBS, do you mean as an employee? Because visitors are most certainly not searched

I was there three years ago with a friend and I know that Disney security does search personal belongings and will "wand" you, if they feel the situation warrants it. They don't frisk people though I bet they will if they find a weapon with the metal dectator.

 

[Double Naught Spy]

They story is way overly dramatic and strange. It is a complete appeal to emotion that is full of some very specific facts, and yet missing critical facts that would allow us to verify the story. Notice how we know so much about Paul from the appeal for help, and yet we don't know Paul's last name. Supposedly this all happened, but there is no other source for the story other than the same appeal posted on several forums from which there has been absolutely no updates.

And apparently Paul is a moron, or at least Paul's mythical and unnamed friend who posted the story indicates Paul is a moron as Paul apparently is clueless about getting his own legal help, contacting the NRA, or any other such normal things as the rest of us would do if we actually had something like this happen.

Add to this the aspect that Paul is depicted as everything good and wholesome, the David to the Goliath of Disney, the underdog fighting the establishment. Paul has never done anything wrong other than the complete and total violation of the supposed Disney employee rules that we as gun owners are all supposed to agree are stupid rules, hence identifying with Paul, tugging out our emotional heart strings so that we will badger Disney as a group.

The only problem is that we don't have any indication that this story is anything other than an internet myth about a supposed Paul who got fired from Disney and who may lose his retirement as written by an even more unknown friend.

In the past, when real folks have needed help, real names were used and there were ways to verify the stories. This is not the case here. Given that things should have become public last week and nothing has materialized, combined with everything else, this looks more and more like a myth, or maybe just a joke on us to chase our tails about a conflict that never happened.

 

[Bacchus]

Well said, DNS. Story sounds a lot like other internet legends...

 

[AJ Dual]

The real question is what happened to the vested portion of his retirment? At 30 years service, the majority of the pension should have been vested.

Even if he got convicted of murder on co. property, they can't take that from him. Either it was an idle threat from managment who didn't know what they're talking about, trying to intimidate the other workers, or the "retirment" refers to non-vested things like healthcare that the employer may extend to retirees gratis, or by union contract, that firing for cause may legaly be taken.

The sticky thread on the same issue at GlockTalk is going nowhere fast and the originator hasn't given an update in several days.

Either:

The story is bogus, or misrepresented some way in hopes of stirring up a massive letter writing campaign.

There was a resolution of the pension dispute, and they realized Disney can't touch the vested portion and the originator is either too lazy/embarassed to tell us so.

Or they knew the vested pension couldn't be touched, and were trying to create false outrage at Disney to pressure them to pony up the non-vested benifits.

 

[Nicky Santoro]

.."Not only did he lose his job, but Disney also informed him that he would not be receiving his retirement after 33 years of loyal service"...

I'm 99% certain he is vested in the plan after 10 years so denying him pension rights would not be legal. Someone else may be able to verify that.

That's not the only portion of this story that is shaky.

 

[MachIVshooter]

someone broke in my restaurant and left my remington 742 30-06 after removing it from my case. unusual but it happens

Long arms are more difficult to steal without being noticed, and hunting rifles have virtually no street value for a common theif. Criminals don't steal things to possess them; they want to make money on them. So consider that they are highly unlikely to be able to sell the hunting rifle to another thug, and that a pawn shop is definitely going to know something's up when some gangbanger walks in trying to sell a wood-stocked and scoped deer gun and we can see why such firearms are not always lifted.

But handguns are easily concealed when leaving the scene and are easily sold to other criminals or pawnshops. I have never heard of a car being broken into and handguns being left behind when other things were taken. Handguns are one of the most popular items for theives to steal, second only to cash and jewlery.

Bottom line, if they can take a handgun, they will.

 

[itgoesboom]

An update has been posted over at Glocktalk.

Benefits have been given back.

I.G.B.