Walmart announced, in response to the politically correct ravings of anti-gun groups, celebrities, and the anti-gun media, it is going to stop selling handguns in Alaska (Walmart previously stopped selling handguns everywhere else) and will stop selling “short-barrel rifle and handgun ammunition” in stores all over America.
“We have a long heritage as a company of serving responsible hunters and sportsmen and women, and we’re going to continue doing so,” Walmart’s CEO Doug McMillon said, in a memo.
So predator and big-game hunters (who use “short-barrel rifle” ammunition), deer hunters [who use Modern Sporting Rifles (MSR)], millions of Americans who like to sport shoot or have an MSR for home defense, Alaskans (who carry handguns for self-defense or bear defense) and so on are all irresponsible gun owners, according to Walmart?
“After selling through our current inventory commitments, we will discontinue sales of short-barrel rifle ammunition such as the .223 caliber and 5.56 caliber that, while commonly used in some hunting rifles, can also be used in large capacity clips on military-style weapons…,” said McMillon.
One might think an official statement like this, from a major company no less, would at least get the facts straight. But he writes “the .223 caliber and 5.56 caliber,” without seeming to know they are essentially the same thing. He calls gun magazines “large capacity clips.” And then, he refers to popular firearms as “military-style weapons”—when every firearm type used by Americans was once used, or is now being used, by the military.
This positioning from Walmart is all very confusing and contradictory, as political correctness often is.
“The strongest defense of freedom has always been our free-market economy,” said the NRA, in response. “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 truth is, 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.”
Meanwhile, Walmart has said its market share of ammunition is currently 20% of the U.S. market. It predicts this will drop by about 6%-9%. Right now about half of its nearly 5,000 stores sell firearms.
Buying any special item at Walmart has long been a gauntlet of serendipity, to be kind. (A writer for Business Insider even just found this out when she tried to buy a gun there.)
Over the last few years, Walmart has been succumbing to the dictates of the mainstream media. In 2015, Walmart stopped selling MSRs and, last year, it raised the minimum age to purchase firearms and ammunition to 21.
Walmart also just asked customers not to openly carry firearms in any of its stores, including its Sam’s Clubs.
Walmart’s store policies are certainly its business, but Walmart is also pushing for new gun-control legislation on the federal level.
“We encourage our nation’s leaders to move forward and strengthen background checks and to remove weapons from those who have been determined to pose an imminent danger,” says McMillon’s statement.
McMillon even said he sent letters to the White House and to congressional leadership to call for “action on these common sense measures.” So he is behaving as an activist, not as a business leader looking out for the best interests of his company and his customers.
Just after Walmart’s announcement, Kroger also asked customers not to openly carry firearms in its stores. Jessica Adelman, group vice president of corporate affairs for Kroger, also said in a statement that Kroger is joining Walmart in “encouraging our elected leaders to pass laws that will strengthen background checks and remove weapons from those who have been found to pose a risk for violence.”
All of this is nothing more than corporate virtue signaling to the politically correct class, and a slap in the face to the men and women who shop at these two businesses. (Frank Miniter’s latest book is The Ultimate Man’s Survival Guide to the Workplace.)
Most-Revealing Anti-Freedom Quote of the Week
“I want to be really clear that that’s exactly what we are going to do. Americans who own AR-15s, AK-47s, will have to sell them to the government.” –Beto O’Rourke, a Democratic candidate for the presidency
Pro-Freedom Quote of the Week
“Gun control doesn’t work. Look at Chicago. Disarming law-abiding citizens isn’t the answer.” –Tweeted Sen. Ted Cruz, (R-Texas)
