Walmart was never much of a gun store. It is now less of one. Walmart announced, as a response to the criminal actions of mass-murderers, that it’s 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 (it stopped selling modern sporting rifles in 2015, though it kept selling less-politically incorrect semi-automatic rifles). Walmart also just asked customers not to openly carry firearms in any of its stores, including its Sam’s Clubs.
Some other corporations quickly followed Walmart’s politically correct stance. Kroger, Walgreens, CVS, Albertsons and others announced similar restrictions in their stores.
“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 Walmart’s CEO Doug McMillon.
According to Walmart, predator and big-game hunters who use “short-barrel rifle” ammunition, deer hunters who use Modern Sporting Rifles (MSR), the millions of Americans who like to sport shoot or have an MSR for home defense, those who carry handguns for self-defense or bear defense and so on, are all irresponsible gun owners.
“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.”
One might think an official statement like this, from a major company no less, would at least get its facts straight, but McMillon 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.
“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.”
Walmart’s store policies are certainly its business, but Walmart is also pushing for new gun-control legislation on the federal level. Walmart’s CEO also said, “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.” McMillon also said he sent letters to the White House and to congressional leadership to call for “action on these common-sense measures.”
So Walmart isn’t just acting as a private business setting company policy; no, they are also being political by pushing gun-control laws.
The chain Rural King, meanwhile, reaffirmed its commitment to the Second Amendment and said it will continue lawfully selling firearms.
