I think that might be my great grandmother (his daughter) waiting at the bottom of the steps.
Posted on 12/30/2012 4:15:30 AM PST by algernon_garnock
SEMINOLE, Fla. - As a pawn shop owner, Frank James was always a big believer in gun rights and the second amendment. After all, it was his bread and butter business. But after what he saw in Newtown, Connecticut on Friday, he's had a change of heart. "I basically broke into tears and looked up on the wall, seeing the types of firearms I am selling," James said.
At the Loan Star Pawn store in Seminole, a glass display case that once housed several Bushmaster AR-15 assault rifles is now empty. The glass counters normally filled with handguns has been completely cleared.
"I'm not going to be part of it anymore," James said. He has several copies of the exact rifle suspected in the massacre.
"The model, the brand, everything," he said.
The father of four said he was especially touched knowing that his youngest child, a six-year old daughter, was the same age as many of those children who were shot to death.
"I dropped my daughter off at school this morning. That was enough for me," James said. "Conscience wins over making money."
The store manager came into the pawn shop Monday and saw James taking down signs advertising guns, and asked him what was going on.
"He said don't take the guns out of the safe. We're no longer selling them," said Leia Thomas. "I was shocked."
In an era of high gold prices and a slow economy that keeps many people from spending, Thomas was worried that without firearms sales, the business will suffer.
"I battled him and definitely debated that decision a lot, but I think it was the right one," she said. "As long as he has a clear conscience."
James said he thought long and hard over the weekend about what can happen after he sells somebody a firearm. He considered the possibility that the shooter's mother could have bought weapons from his store.
"I probably would have sold a firearm to that woman thinking she's buying it for her own defense, and then something like that happens," he said, referring to Friday's massacre. "That's something I couldn't live with."
His store is filled with nostalgia, like vintage telephones and cash registers. Guitars hang on the back wall, and fishing poles are displayed overhead. There's even a few sealed boxes of discontinued Hostess treats in a display case.
But twinkle sales can't come close to the thousands of dollars worth of guns he could have sold.
"It'll probably cause my business to go out of business," James said. "I couldn't live with myself if one of my firearms went out, got in the wrong hands and killed an innocent person, let alone a child," he said.
"We need more gun control."
My Great Grandfather was also born in Germany (as well has his son and his son)
But mine is slightly younger than yours, he was born in 1902.
LLS
He’s an idiot.
Still it’s his store and his choice although saying, “I know this will probably put me out of business”, when he has a family to feed and support seems less than compassionate.
Maybe someone should also point out to him guns are used about 2 million times a year by private citizens to STOP crime.
LLS
I wonder what is the ratio between those that sell their guns back to the government and those that have bought another gun over the last three months? Obviously, ABC uses these outlier anecdotes to distort reality.
We do really need to start compiling a database of addresses and other ID info for all Leftist journalists. The hour draws nigh.
Formerly tough people are getting soft and gutless.
The MSM brain washers are succeeding.
***
I know this sounds like tin foil talk, but I would not be surprised to learn that there are subliminal messages in TV and radio broadcasts and in movies.
Sorry, bugs me.
I’ll bet you a million dollars that as a leftist he mismanaged his store so that it was going to go out of business anyways. He’s trying to look like he’s going out of business on principle rather then incompetence.
I suspect there is more to this. Think about it, pawn store owners are like a factor lower than used car salesmen for being cutthroat and unethical. About the only thing that would ever bring a tear to their eye would be the discovery that they sold something for much less than its actual value.
In this case, I suspect that his FFL has some serious problems, and he had better get out of the gun business before that grand jury meets.
Translation: I made so much money off the guns and ammo I sold that I can retire in comfort and don’t need to put up with all the attacks - I’m just saying I had a change of heart to get the moonbats off my back.
@Wita
I agree on the NRA, if I remember correctly they were in favor of and went along with the last AWB, an have back stabbed gun owners numerous times. I would not piss down the NRA’s throat if it’s guts were on fire. I have put them in the same file as the Republicrat party
My membership money goes to GOA. http://gunowners.org/
Look, he gets great publicity from this story. Two weeks from now, he sells all the guns online at a great markup because of demand. No one ever checks to see what happened.
Wow! With the help of the press, there’s no stopping this guy. What’s your guess? Time Man of the Year? Nobel Peace Prize? Among gun grabbers, this is their newborn savior. Watch this guy. He’ll be everywhere soon.
So how did ABCNews find out that Frank had had a change of heart and was no longer going to sell guns? Did he call them or did they call him?
Good for him for making his own business decision. He will suffer the consequences of that decision but at least he will gp out of business through his own choice and not because the government forced him to cease firearms sales.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.