EDGEVILLE, ILLINOIS — Two guys were unloading a truck when a man walked up to them and announced a robbery. The robber probably thought he was in for a decent haul. And the fun fact about this case? The concealed carrier in question complied without issue — initially. The armed robber wanted his wallet and his cell phone, both of which he handed over. It was only when the robber asked for the car keys as well that the concealed carrier finally took action.
As the Chicago Tribune briefly reported, the criminal wouldn’t take well enough alone. It’s not enough to simply comply with the bad guy’s request — he’ll always want more. It’s a “give a mouse a cookie, he’ll want a glass of milk” scenario.
In this case, the armed robber wanted something that wasn’t his. And when he got it, he just wanted more. Who can say where it would have ended? Thankfully, there was a concealed carrier willing to make the judgment call that there was a line and it had been crossed.
Threatening someone’s life isn’t an entitlement. The Chicago Tribune loves to rave about how gun violence is destroying that city but in earnest, it’s not the guns — it’s the armed criminals who think that they’re a free pass to take whatever they want.
Well, thankfully, there are now law abiding citizens willing and able to stand up to them.
The tragedies of Chicago are almost epic in proportion when you look at them statistically. It’s much too easy to attempt to ascribe a political reason for the violence and bloodshed that have become daily staples of life in some of those neighborhoods.
The fact of the matter is this: an armed robber with a confirmed history of prior convicted crimes took it upon himself to threaten the lives of two men for no other reason than the estimation of personal profit. He was wrong. And he paid for that mistake with his life.
It’s an admonishment to the fact that the concealed carrier was willing to give up his own possessions and property in a bid for peace. If the robber took his wallet and cell phone, no doubt this man would have moved on at a loss. However, when he saw this man’s hunger knew no limit, it became clear it would ultimately be his life or the other man’s and he chose to live. So should we all.
