Walmart Goes Where Others Fear to Tread

On a day where Senate Majority Leader managed to demonstrate his lack of understanding about our three branches of government; show his yellow-bellied fear of his retaliatory president; prove without a doubt that he is without cojones; and ignore the will of the American people, the world's largest retailer made a very different decision. 

First, McConnell. 

In an interview with conservative talking head Hugh Hewitt, he said Trump is looking over different proposals and "he expects to hear back next week" about what Trump would support, according to this report from Politico, which quotes McConnell saying

I said several weeks ago that if the president took a position on a bill so that we knew we would actually be making a law and not just having serial votes, I’d be happy to put it on the floor. If the president is in favor of a number of things that he has discussed openly and publicly, and I know that if we pass it it’ll become law, I’ll put it on the floor.”

Now, let's look at leadership of a different kind, starting with a few news reports, starting with this New York Times article:

In response to the shooting in its El Paso store last month that killed 22 people, Walmart said Tuesday that it would stop selling certain types of ammunition that are commonly used by hunters but can also be used in military assault rifles.

The nation’s largest retailer made the announcement after weeks of discussion about how best to respond to the violence on Aug. 3. The company said that after “selling through our current inventory commitments” it would discontinue the sale of certain short-barrel rifle ammunition and all handgun ammunition.

 And here's another look at it from a CNBC article:

The biggest retailer in the world is additionally asking customers at Walmart and Sam’s Club to no longer openly carry firearms in stores, in states where “open carry” is allowed, unless they are authorized law enforcement officers. Open carry legislation is currently on the books in more than 26 states, Dan Bartlett, executive vice president of corporate affairs, said during a call with members of the media.

Now, let's look at some excerpts from the memo issued by Walmart CEO Doug McMillon, who begins with references the shooting in El Paso and the one in Southaven, Mississippi, where two Walmart associates were killed by a third. 

Our immediate priorities were supporting our associates and the impacted families and cooperating with law enforcement. In parallel, we have been focused on store safety and security. We’ve also been listening to a lot of people inside and outside our company as we think about the role we can play in helping to make the country safer. It’s clear to us that the status quo is unacceptable.

After visiting El Paso on Aug. 6, I mentioned that we would be thoughtful and deliberate in our responses. We’re ready to share our next steps.

He highlighted changes the company had previously made, including decisions to "to stop selling handguns or military-style rifles such as the AR-15, to raise the age limit to purchase a firearm or ammunition to 21, to require a “green light” on a background check while federal law only requires the absence of a “red light,” to videotape the point of sale for firearms and to only allow certain trained associates to sell firearms."

Talking about the changes being made today, McMillon acknowledged the decisions he announced would "inconvenience" some customers, but he hoped for their understanding; he also reiterated the company's commitment to focusing on "the needs of hunting and sport shooting enthusiasts," including guns, ammunition, clothing, etc. And he noted that the changes introduced today would significantly reduce Walmart's market share on ammo from around 20% to perhaps as low as 6% over time. 

Speaking about store safety, there are changes coming for open carry states (but not for concealed carry). Here's why those changes are needed (emphasis added):

...there have been 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. We have also had well-intentioned customers acting lawfully that have inadvertently caused a store to be evacuated and local law enforcement to be called to respond. These incidents are concerning and we would like to avoid them, so we are respectfully requesting that customers no longer openly carry firearms into our stores or Sam’s Clubs in states where “open carry” is permitted – unless they are authorized law enforcement officers.

We believe the opportunity for someone to misinterpret a situation, even in open carry states, could lead to tragic results. We hope that everyone will understand the circumstances that led to this new policy and will respect the concerns of their fellow shoppers and our associates.

He promised a respectful, "non-confrontational approach" to explaining this particular change to customers. (And, not for nothing, but what the hell is wrong with the people who have been "attempting to make a statement" in this manner?) 

Walmart is also going to work with fellow retailers, share their best practices and, likely, proprietary technical specs and other information on their firearm sales platform. They'll do this free of charge. 

And, McMillon added some comments for our 'leaders' who are pitifully bad at leading on this issue, many in large part because they fear for their own political survival, I'm convinced. Again emphasis added.

Finally, 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... and we believe the reauthorization of the Assault Weapons ban should be debated... We must also do more, as a country, to understand the root causes that lead to this type of violent behavior. Today, I’m sending letters to the White House and the Congressional leadership that call for action on these common sense measures... these horrific events occur and then the spotlight fades. We should not allow that to happen. Congress and the administration should act. Given our decades of experience selling firearms, we are also offering to serve as a resource in the national debate on responsible gun sales.

We understand... our deeply rooted place in America and our influence as the world’s largest retailer. And we understand the responsibility that comes with it. We want what’s best for our customers, our associates and our communities. In a complex situation lacking a simple solution, we are trying to take constructive steps to reduce the risk that events like these will happen again. The status quo is unacceptable.

Yes. The status quo is completely unacceptable.