Photo courtesy of USA Today
Since the tragic mass shooting at a Walmart in El Paso, Texas, on August 3, the big-box discount retailer has all but exploited the tragedy.
As politicians struggle to create change in gun legislation, various corporations have taken on the responsibility to try to push change toward common sense gun control. Walmart has joined the bandwagon, ending the sale of certain kinds of ammunition, and restricting the practice of open carry in their stores. Despite fanfare from the media, and outspoken praise from many politicians, Walmart is not doing much of anything, and it seems that the company may, in the end, benefit from the situation.
Looking at Walmart’s complex and convoluted history with firearms, it’s hard not to question the corporation’s intentions. In 1962, Walmart’s first branch opened in Arizona, selling clothes and toys alongside firearms. For thirty years, everything from a small, handheld pistol to a .50 caliber rifle was readily available for purchase in all of 3,000 Walmart locations.
In 1993, only after bad press and after many other retailers had already gotten rid of their weapon stock, Walmart took handguns off their shelves, but shotguns and rifles were still available to buy. In 2006, Walmart made a more drastic change: they pulled all weapons from two-thirds of their stores, citing the decision as a means to make their stores safer and to address the growing problem of gun violence.
This policy did not last long, though. In 2009, after the recession hit, Walmart returned shotguns and rifles to all stores. Such a decision clearly went against their previous statements and blatantly disregarded the “community safety” they hoped to create. In the years since, even after overall Walmart sales recovered, guns have stayed in stock, with Walmart only insisting after the 2018 Parkland shooting that it had “taken an opportunity to review our policy on firearm sales.”
After the shooting in El Paso, Walmart promised a big revision to its firearms policy — but this change is insignificant. In a press conference on September 3, Walmart said it would stop selling 5.56mm and .223 caliber rounds, as well as end handgun sales in their stores nationwide. In a report, Walmart estimated this change in policy would have dramatic effects on business, stating that the company’s share of ammunition sales in the U.S. would be more than halved.
In reality, this change would only cause a decline of $200 million in firearm revenue, and when compared to a yearly revenue of $514 billion, this 0.03% loss will likely be made up by the positive press Walmart is receiving as a result of the policy shift. The end of handgun sales won’t even affect most Americans. Alaska is the only state where Walmart still sells handguns.
And so this story becomes an old one. Waiting for a super corporation like Walmart to establish common sense gun control will get us nowhere. If we are to really create change, we must advocate for ourselves, rather than falling into the hands of big business.
