By: José Niño
Cam Edwards of Bearing Arms covered an incident demonstrating Big Business’s disrespect of American civil liberties earlier this month. It’s no secret that rideshare companies such as Uber and Lyft have policies that prohibit their gig workers from having firearms in their vehicles while on the clock.
This policy reared its ugly head in the case of a Cleveland woman named Cynthia Norman. Early in the morning of January 10, 2020, Norman received a ride request from two young adult males who wanted to head to NEO Sports Plant, a multi-sport facility with a sports bar. When Norman arrived at the riders’ destination, she saw that the business was closed and suddenly realized that she had been set-up. From there, Norman was involved in a violent scuffle with her passengers.
Norman told 19 News that one of the men was “choking me from the back.” The Lyft driver also asserts that one of the passengers broke COVID-19 regulations by sitting in the front seat. This passenger started punching her in the face, while the man in the backseat proceeded to strangle her.
“They didn’t know I was going to fight back,” Norman said.
The Lyft driver was able to get ahold of her gun from the center console and proceeded to shoot at the assailants. The two males scurried from the scene.
Sadly, Norman was fired for simply exercising her right to self-defense. Lyft has a zero-tolerance policy for drivers who carry weapons. Yes, this even applies to individuals who are legally allowed to own and carry firearms. “What if you’re getting attacked? What are you supposed to do then?” Norman asked.
Individuals like Norman keep handguns in self-defense for similar situations that are routine occurrences in the U.S. After all, this is a time when law enforcement is being demonized nationwide, and many Americans have to fend themselves when confronting hardened criminals.
Bigwig CEOs at so-called “woke” corporations have a hard time grasping why many Americans opt to carry. Their affluent socio-economic status affords corporate titans the luxury of living in safe neighborhoods with strong security systems and private security options. Most Americans can’t access such security benefits. Hence, their rational decision to arm themselves.
If gun owners want to stick it to pro-leftist businesses, they should take their services elsewhere. That will send a strong message to businesses who don’t stay in their lane and try to play silly political games. Gun owners should not patronize corporations that don’t respect our foundational freedoms.
José Niño is a freelance writer based in Austin, Texas. Sign up for his mailing list here. Contact him via Facebook, Twitter, or email him at [email protected]. Get his e-book, The 10 Myths of Gun Control, here.