Smith & Wesson chief resigns over past armed robbery (1 Viewer)

[Peter Kim]

CNN article



Wonder if he put this paid internship down on his curriculum vitae?

 

[Francois Caron]

That was over forty years ago for crying out loud! Isn't this taking political correctness a bit too far? If he's been legit for all these years, I don't think he's going to be going back into a life of crime especially now that he's in his seventies.

 

[RobertR]

His resignation is understandable from a PR standpoint, but I agree that there's no good reason to say he shouldn't stay, else one would be saying that NO convict can ever hold a job.

 

[Danny Tse]

Mr. Minder should be proud of his turnaround in life.

 

[MickeS]

15 years in jail + the above, it certainly seems he has paid his debt to society.

 

[Christ Reynolds]

i'd be proud of my turnaround if i were him, i'm sure he is. and of course he paid his debt, but the issue is that he lied all these years. everyone knows that when you lie on any job application or resume, even if it is the smallest little lie you can imagine, and they investigate and you are caught, you'll get fired. he got fired because he lied, period. it doesnt matter that it was a big lie.

CJ

 

[Brett DiMichele]

He didn't lie.. He just didn't "disclose the full truth".

 

[Joseph S]

Just like he "worked" his way through Univ of Michigan. I'm sorry, but you can't have someone known for carrying "a sawed off shotgun" and part of both armed robberies and a prison escape being a frontman for any company including Smith and Wesson.

Is every law abiding 35 y/o now done enough to go out and hold shotguns at will to shopkeepers and then once caught try to escape while on the "prison debate team?" He got what he deserved today. He said he's "done nothing wrong." He most certainly did a lot wrong and I'm sure there will be more disclosed in the future. I don't recall seeing where he paid the Michigan system back for all the money he cost the taxpayers.

 

[BrianW]

I think when he said that he "did nothing wrong", he was speaking only in the context of his association with Smith & Wesson, not about the armed robbery, about which he's been very candid. Of course, not disclosing to Smith & Wesson that he was once an armed robber is, to many reasonable minds, something wrong.

I also think he's turned his life around and has become a "good citizen" who should be free to pursue the career of his choosing. I truly admire people who are capable of having such a profound change of heart, and I want to give such people a meaningful second chance whenever possible.

But for a former armed robber - a convicted felon who cannot legally own a handgun - being an executive and spokesman for a handgun manufacturer is simply out of the question. I wish him luck in whatever he does, but he should definitely choose a career where he's not prohibited by law from handling his own company's merchandise.

 

[Chris]

As a PR thing, he had to resign.

I often think, however, of "Shawshank Redemption" in moments like this.. and am reminded of how few go in and come out and "do the right thing" if you come out of prison and you learned from your mistake, and you don't fall prey to recidivism, more power to you (IMHO)

 

[Christ Reynolds]

indeed. i doubt this guy was a danger to anyone, but as chris said, most likely a pr thing.

CJ

 

[Chris]

BTW, "Now" convicted felons cannot have guns. That law came into effect long after his crime, and ex-post facto laws hold no baring; so if he wanted to own a gun, he most certainly could..

 

[BrianW]

Chris, is that true? I didn't know that.

 

[Chris]

Yes, true.

The rules regarding felons possessing guns is a rather new one. These kind of rules did not exist before the "war on drugs" and other stances; the idea was that if you served your time, you could not be denied your constitutional rights (regardless of your previous crime).

 

[John Nelson]

Yes, I agree he has paid his debt to society, but, I can't help wonder about the inevitable question-- Did he use a Smith and Wesson during his crime spree?