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Can Wal-Mart Catalyze Gun Control?

LuLu Shamberg
Nov 2, 2015
3 min read

President Obama has now spoken fifteen times on mass shootings during his two terms. His impassioned speeches are filled with calls to action to both the government and the public. Yet the conversation never changes. “It is all the fault of the mentally ill.” “We should give everyone in schools guns to be armed against attackers.” Despite the seemingly unending violence, people fervently defend their Second Amendment right to bear arms. In the wake of the Umpqua Community College Shooting, President Obama was greeted in Oregon by protestors urging him to leave.

Furthermore, these tragedies have failed to prompt action from both Congress and Senate. The most recent gun control bill came to a predominantly Republican Congress in 2013 and was defeated. No major changes were made even when Democrats held the Senate majority from 2007 to 2010. President Obama could enact an executive similar to his actions on illegal immigration earlier this year. However, just as with his immigration efforts, these efforts are bound to be met with opposition from both parties. It would further politicize the issue rather than work to shift American ideology on Second Amendment rights.

Fortunately, there may be another solution. It is no secret that large corporations and

organizations have incredible influence on political decisions. The opinions of the National Rifle Association (NRA) are undoubtedly represented in Republican endorsed policy. Thus, it is entirely possible that an important corporation has the ability to shape pro-gun control policy change. This is where Wal-Mart comes in.

The idea of Wal-Mart, the largest gun retailer in the country, prompting this change

might seem counterintuitive: the company has its roots in Arkansas, one of the most pro-gun states in the country. However, its recent response to the shooting at a predominantly black church in Charleston, South Carolina proves the opposite. After investigators discovered that the shooter was motivated by racist anti-black sentiments, there were many public calls to remove the Confederate Flag from hanging at the South Carolina State House. Naturally, there was immense pushback from both the public and government officials.

On June 23rd, just five days after the shooting, Wal-Mart announced that it was going to

stop selling all Confederate Flag merchandise both in-stores and online. This decision was incredibly influential in altering the opinions of people and politicians. While Confederate Flags were far from being on Wal-Mart’s best seller list, their discontinuation symbolized Wal-Mart’s condemnation of the despicable act that had just occurred. Almost immediately following, Amazon, eBay, and Sears announced that they too would remove any Confederate Flag products from their inventory list. After several weeks of debate, officials finally lowered the flag.

It would be nearly impossible to prove that Wal-Mart’s choice had a direct correlation to

the flag’s eventual removal, but it was certainly an important step in preventing racial violence from occurring in the future. Wal-Mart has both the will and the power to influence public and political opinion, and the decision would have resounding implications. It would definitely be a trickier decision than the one to discontinue Confederate Flags. Although the company does not release specific numbers for gun sales profit, it is likely that Wal-Mart will experience a financial setback from this choice. However, instead of recalling all guns at once, Wal-Mart could phase out various models over a period of time to minimize immediate profit loss.

The company has already announced plans to discontinue semi-automatic weapons such

as the extremely controversial AR-15. A military grade weapon, the AR-15 was used in the

Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting that killed 20 children and 6 adults. However, the company announced that the motivation for this decision was purely economic. Moreover, Wal-Mart will continue to sell ammunition for these types of weapons.

This decision has the potential to be a step in the right direction. While Wal-Mart is

clearly distancing themselves from political controversy by referring to the choice as strictly financial, they still have the unique opportunity to influence serious and important change. The company will have to consider what it values the most; whether that’s ignoring its potential societal impact or setting a better standard for the future.

Sources:

Bloomberg Business. N.p., 26 Aug. 2015. Web. 13 Oct. 2015.

<http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-08-26/wal-mart-to-stop-selling-military-style-

guns-after-demand-drops>.

DeBonis, Mike, and Paul Kane. "Gun Control Measures Unlikely To Gain Steam In Congress

Post-Oregon Shooting." Washington Post. N.p., 2 Oct. 2015. Web. 13 Oct. 2015.

<https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/little-hope-for-action-as-congress-confronts-

another-mass-shooting/2015/10/02/b1752f00-6936-11e5-8325-a42b5a459b1e_story.html>.

Malet, David. "What Happened In Charleston Is Not Just About Gun Control Laws." ABC

News. N.p., 18 June 2015. Web. 13 Oct. 2015. <http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-06-19/malet-

charleston-shooting/6558764>.

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