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It is always interesting to watch knee-jerk reactions to horrible events. Take, for instance, Walmart’s decision to stop selling handgun ammunition and ammunition commonly used in assault-style rifles.
America’s largest retailer says it also will curtail selling handguns in Alaska, the only state where it still offers them. It earlier stopped selling assault-style rifles. The action follows two horrendous shootings at its stores — a July shooting at a Mississippi store and one in El Paso in August.
Walmart, though, says it will continue to sell hunting rifles, shotguns and ammunition for those guns.
Will that make anybody measurably safer?
It should be noted that the Centers for Disease Control say more than 36,000 people died in 2017 from unintentional falls. The World Health Organization says the U.S. leads the world in ladder fatalities, with more than 300 deaths and 500,000 injures annually. Yet Walmart continues to sell ladders.
About 40,000 people die each year in motor vehicle traffic accidents. Drunken drivers are involved in about 11,000 of those deaths. Yet Walmart continues to sell alcohol.
Some 64,000 people died from drug overdoses in 2017, yet the retailer continues to sell pharmaceuticals.
Between 2007 and 2017, nearly 1,700 people were murdered with a knife or sharp object per year – or four times the number of people murdered by rifles. Walmart still sells knives and hunting rifles.
It also should be noted that about 39,700 people died in firearm-related deaths in 2017. Of those, about 60 percent were suicides.
That year, handguns were involved in 64 percent of the 10,982 U.S. gun murders and non-negligent manslaughters, the FBI says. Rifles of all types were involved in only 4 percent of the deaths. FBI statistics show more people were beaten to death in 2017 than were killed by rifles.
A New York Times analysis last year concluded that since 2007, at least “173 people have been killed in mass shootings in the United States involving AR-15s.” That is fewer than 17 per year over the span of a decade.
One is too many, of course, but if Walmart really is interested in making us all safer, it also would stop selling alcohol, pharmaceuticals, knives and ladders.
Bass Pro, Cabella’s, and dozens of gun stores rejoice!! Wally’s shouldn’t be in their business to begin with. What gun aficionado would even consider buying their guns or ammo from a Walmart??
Interesting/good points……
Once again I call for a Nation Wide Boycott of Walmart for these actions. The Boston Tea Party and the Boycott by the Colonist of the East India Co. caused the East India to go to England and beg for a reversal of the New Laws England had passed concerning Taxes on the Colonist, because this Boycott by the Colonist was Bankrupting the East India Co.. That action proved the power of We The People. “The Right to Keep and Bear Arms shall not be infringed.” That means all arms. No Exceptions!!!!! Seymour Marvin Mills Jr. sui juris (Black’s Law Dictionary–“sui juris, I am under no legal disability. I can speak in my own behave.”
Owners of private property have the right to ban firearms in/on them. You have the right to not go in there and trade with them. See how it works? Everybody has rights. By you demanding to carry your gun in there, you are stepping on their rights. That’s not how it works. For me, I won’t spend a dime in Walmart from now on. I choose to feel safe when I shop.
I think the greatest decision to stop “mass” shootings or any other shootings is to require all responsible adults to carry firearms. Everywhere. There would be an instant stop to most all shootings, except maybe in Chicago, Baltimore, NYC, etc. Most all shooters are cowards and wouldn’t think of attacking responsible, armed Americans in any venue. Period!
“The Right to Keep and Bear Arms” means exactly what it says and cannot be legislated away or lawfully prevented by anyone because it is an Unalienable (Un a lien able) God given Right to protect life, limb and property. Walmart is Corporate Property, not Private Property. We The People are the Sovereigns. Seymour Marvin Mills Jr. sui juris
Nope. God didn’t give us the right to keep and bear arms. Congress did.
Wrong. Congress didn’t give us anything. The Constitution did. Remember, “One Nation, Under God”? Congress, the antithesis of the ‘people’, didn’t give anything. When the Constitution and Bill of Rights guaranteed citizens’ rights, the continental congress didn’t really agree. A few strong Americans made it happen, recognizing the threat of government tyranny and “politicians” wanting to disarm Americans.
Congress only Guaranteed our Un a Lien Able God given Rights. Please read what Thomas Jefferson said in the Declaration of Independence, “_ _ that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” These Rights can only be secured and enforced by force. The Right to keep and bear arms is that force.
Seymour Marvin Mills Jr. sui juris
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