NRA Unloads on Walmart for 'Shameful' Decision To Pull Ammo and Limit Open Carry
The big story when it comes to gun control this week has to do with Walmart, which took action against gun owners and buyers after two shootings in its stores.
According to The New York Times, the store would discourage open carry in its stores, ban the sales of certain types of ammunition that can be used in so-called “assault weapons” and all handgun ammunition. They would also consider asking Congress to consider a ban on the same kind of weapons.
“As we’ve seen before, these horrific events occur and then the spotlight fades,” Walmart chief executive Doug McMillon said in a statement.
“We should not allow that to happen. Congress and the administration should act.”
The superstore chain, however, insisted they weren’t making a concession to gun-grabbers, telling Fox News they were bringing their “ammunition offerings in line with our firearms assortment.”
“We’re focusing on the hunters and sports shooting enthusiasts that we’ve always served,” Walmart spokesman Randy Hargrove told Fox News.
McMillon also defended the decision, saying that it wasn’t a move away from the company’s long support of hunting and sport.
“We have a long heritage as a company of serving responsible hunters and sportsmen and women, and we’re going to continue doing so,” he said, according to The Times.
However, McMillon’s statement still said that the company would only be focusing on shotguns and long-barrel deer rifles going forward.
The National Rifle Association, however, called the move “shameful.”
“The strongest defense of freedom has always been our free-market economy,” a statement from the NRA read.
“It is shameful to see Walmart succumb to the pressure of the anti-gun elites. Lines at Walmart will soon be replaced by lines at other retailers who are more supportive of America’s fundamental freedoms.”
The NRA added, “Walmart’s actions today will not make us any safer.
“Rather than place the blame on the criminal, Walmart has chosen to victimize law abiding Americans. Our leaders must be willing to approach the problems of crime, violence and mental health with sincerity and honesty.”
“It is shameful to see @Walmart succumb to the pressure of the anti-gun elites. Lines at Walmart will soon be replaced by lines at other retailers who are more supportive of America’s fundamental freedoms.”
Read @NRA‘s statement on Walmart’s decision here: pic.twitter.com/bmwAS9o0KP
— NRA (@NRA) September 3, 2019
The most visible mass shooting at Walmart was in El Paso, Texas, where a man who expressed anti-immigrant sentiments in a manifesto posted online, killed 22 people last month.
In addition, a disgruntled worker at a Mississippi Walmart shot and killed two co-workers a few days before the El Paso shooting.
In the aftermath of the killings, Walmart took down signs marketing violent video games. However, gun control groups pushed them to take further steps — and the pressure seems to have worked.
As for the open carry “ban,” which isn’t really a ban, McMillon noted “multiple incidents since El Paso, where individuals attempting to make a statement and test our response have entered our stores carrying weapons in a way that frightened or concerned our associates and customers.”
“These incidents are concerning and we would like to avoid them,” he said.
However, they said they would take a “nonconfrontational” approach that includes not doing anything if the customer doesn’t seem disruptive. If employees or customers feel uncomfortable with the open carrier, authorities will be called.
As Katherine Ross wrote in a Tuesday Op-Ed for the Washington Examiner, however, this is going to make virtually zero difference.
She noted, “ammunition is always available elsewhere. In addition, not all Second Amendment supporters are comfortable with open carry and some believe concealed carry is a much more smart, tactical move — so Walmart is unlikely to incur much of a boycott for that change, either.
“But Walmart’s message is not about its customers,” she continued.
“Instead, it’s an attempt by a decidedly Middle American brand to come out as anti-gun violence. But this isn’t some bold stance: Literally everyone except actual criminals is against gun violence and abhors mass shootings.”
Furthermore, she noted that Walmart’s share of the firearms market is only 2 percent — and that the move wasn’t enough to satisfy liberals while making conservatives mad.
Hey, @Walmart! This would be a great opportunity for you to take a true leadership position and stop selling guns. https://t.co/JcQ6BvTbUe
— Alyssa Milano (@Alyssa_Milano) August 3, 2019
It’s not just going to be the NRA, either. People vote with their pocketbooks. For giving up a little bit of their 2 percent of the gun market, Walmart has annoyed a lot more than 2 percent of the populace. Meanwhile, liberals don’t think they’ve gone far enough.
It’s virtue signaling at its worst: Nobody is particularly happy with the signal. Good work, Walmart.
Truth and Accuracy
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.
Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. Advertise Today.
