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BOYCOTT WALMART

Josey1Josey1 Member Posts: 9,598 ✭✭
edited July 2002 in General Discussion
BOYCOTT WAL-MART!!!
Does K-Mart Ring A Bell??
"Wal-Mart has decided NOT TO sell any firearms to those that have been declined at the point of purchase, by the FBI, ignoring the 3 day "must give" gun law in place now. I know this so called "instant check" is bogus, because I hold a concealed carry permit, and I was mistakenly denied a gun purchase by the un-informed gun shop owner who did not need to run a check on me anyway." Here's the national Wal-Mart story:

By the commies at Los Angeles Times

Eric Lichtblau
Wal-Mart goes beyond federal requirements:

Wal-Mart, the United States' biggest seller of guns, has quietly ordered it's stores to adopt a tougher policy on gun sales that goes beyond the requirements of the federal government.

Wal-Mart executives, in an internal memorandum obtained by the Los Angels Times, told store managers five weeks ago to stop selling firearms in cases in which authorities were not able to determine weather the wood-be buyers should be banned from owning a weapon.

Under federal law, if authorities cannot complete a criminal background check on a gun buyer within three business days, retailers are allowed to hand over the weapon even though the buyers' status is not clear. Nine states have more stringent standards.

The company "decided to take the extra step toward keeping guns out of the hands of individuals who possibly ought not to have them," according to the memo.

The move is a major break for a company that has sometimes been criticized for lax gun' sale policies. The Arkansas based retailers prominence in the national market place could put pressure on other gun sellers to follow suit in voluntarily withholding firearms from buyers if it is not clear weather they are allowed to own one, observers said.

Wal-Mart decision drew immediate fire from the NRA and other gun rights groups, which question the legality of the unannounced policy shift and hinted that they might seek to organize a boycott against the retailing giant.

In the vast majority of the more than eight million gun checks a year, authorities determine the buyers status in a matter of minutes or hours, confirming weather the would-be buyer has a felony record, has been institutionalized or is otherwise banned from owning a gun.

Once no disqualification are found, the gun dealer is allowed to complete the sale.

But in about five percent of sales the buyers legal status cannot be immediately determined - often because of similar names, lost paper work or poor record-keeping.

These cases have proven vexing to law enforcement because studies show that sales that proceed by default - when the three day limit runs out - produce a disproportionately high number of cases in which a customer was able to buy a gun even though he was banned from doing so.

Americans for Gun Safety, a moderate gun control group in Washington DC, found in a recent study that in a two and a half year period, 10,000 felons and others banned from owning a gun were able to purchase weapons because their background checks could not be completed in 3 days.

LETTER PROMPTED RESEARCH...

A similar congressional study last month confirmed wide spread cracks in the system.

In an April letter, Americans for Gun Safety appealed to Wal-Mart and other large retailers that sell firearms - including Big 5, Gart Sports, Sports Authority and K-Mart - to adopt a "don't know, don't sell" policy that would go beyond federal law.

Wal-Mart, which describes itself as "the local store of choice" for guns and sporting goods, did not respond to Americans for Gun Safety directly.

But internally, the letter prompted Wal-Mart executives to research the issue, and they were troubled to find nation wide data showing that many banned gun sales were executed because of the three day defaults, said Wal-Mart spokes woman Jessica Eldred.

As a result, the company decided "after much consideration" to change it's policy effective May 29 in it's 2,700 stores, nearly all of which sell guns, according to it's internal memo to store managers.

The memo lays out the policy unequivocally; if a store receives a "delayed" response from federal or state authorities who conduct the background checks on potential buyers, "do NOT transfer the firearms until you receive a proceed. To restate, you MUST have a 'proceed' (no matter how long it takes) before any firearm is transferred to a customer," the memo said.

OBSERVERS IMPRESSED...

While gun control groups have long supported extending the 3 day period for background checks, the issue is seen as so politically suicidal in Washington that even liberals have shied away from pushing it.

In deed, the current move is in the opposite direction, as attorney general John Ashcroft - a strong backer of gun rights - has sought to complete the background checks more quickly and destroy the records within 24 hours.

As a result, many observers were impressed by the Wal-Mart decision to move beyond federal law, at the suggestion of a gun control group, no less.

"This is very positive step for an organization as large as Wal-Mart to take," said retired FBI official James DeSarno, who over saw the implementation of the background check system at the bureau. The tough to check cases that take longer than 3 days, he said, "are where you're going to find the problems."

Matt Bennett, a spokesman for Americans for Gun Safety, said, "we're just delighted by how rapidly a huge corporation was able to pivot and change it's policy on such an important issue. This is a major step, and if Wal-Mart is doing it, we hope others will follow their lead."

Wal-Mart is believed to make hundreds of millions of dollars each year from it's gun sales.

THE END- I had to hand type this crap, so I hope you appreciate it. MWS-
I SAY WE DON'T NEED WALRUS-MART!

We can do just fine without them. As a matter of fact, I'm going to be standing out in the front of our local Walrus-Mart boycotting with signs and with all my friends, even my 72 year old mother in-law will be there!

Who knows? We might get some local news coverage on what we're doing. It might even put GUNEDTm on the map. -MWS



Screw Walrus-Mart, Shop At Your Local Gun Shop...


Just curious, who made this rocket science decision to say, "hay fred, our guns sales are making us 400 million dollars a year. I know, why don't we put restrictions on um' to make it more difficult for the customer to buy um'". http://guned.com/pages/walmart.html


"If cowardly and dishonorable men sometimes shoot unarmed men with army pistols or guns, the evil must be prevented by the penitentiary and gallows, and not by a general deprivation of a constitutional privilege." - Arkansas Supreme Court, 1878

Comments

  • Josey1Josey1 Member Posts: 9,598 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    http://forums.gunbroker.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=237759

    80+ million Americans cannot be wrong. Spend no money there until they back down.
  • salzosalzo Member Posts: 6,396 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I have been boycotting wal-mart since September 12-2001. I went into Walmart to by Amm0 the the day after the attack, and they refused to sell ammo or guns. I asked the clerk why, and he said "Cause of yesterday". I told him "cause of yesterday", they SHOULD be selling arms and ammo. He explained to me that they did not want someone coming in and buying a gun or ammo, and using it to exact revenge on Middle East types. I told him that was absurd, and pointed out how the ammo was still on display-and if they are so concerned about people buying ammo for illegal purposes, it is irresponsible for them to have ammo out where someone can pick it up and walk out of the store with it. Certainly one can surmise that if a person was going to use a gun illegally, they would not stop short of stealing the ammo that is withinn reaching distance of a would be gun toting criminal with revenge on his mind.
    As I left, a woman(who heard our little dialogue) walked up to the clerk and said "Oh your not selling guns?"
    He went on with the same line he gave me and she cut him off and said "Oh, no I think that is a good thing."
    I asked her if a bunch of terrorists flooded her neighborhood, and guns were needed to defend yourselves, and you went to Wal Mart to buy some guns but Wal Mart would not sell you guns at this time, would you think it was a "good thing"?
    She said "Like that is going to happen"
    I told if someone told her two days ago that a bunch of terrorists would hijack planes, knock down the WTC, and crash into the pentagon-she would have said "like that is going to happen."

    "The powers delegated by the proposed constitution to the federal governmentare few and defined, and will be exercised principally on external objects, as war, peace negotiation, and foreign commerce"
    -James Madison
  • woodsrunnerwoodsrunner Member Posts: 5,378 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I haven't done business at WalMart in quite a while and have no intention of doing so in the near future. WalMart at half the price is too expensive in the long run.

    Woods


    How big a boy are ya?
  • Gordian BladeGordian Blade Member Posts: 1,202 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Maybe we should compile a list of companies we should do business with -- it would be a lot shorter than the list of those we shouldn't.
  • thesupermonkeythesupermonkey Member Posts: 3,905 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I know I'll get flamed for this, but Walmart has every right to make that kind of decision. Perhaps this will encourage more people to get their CCL.

    Don't worry about the bullet with your name on it, worry about the fragmentation grenade addressed 'To Occupant'.
  • gruntledgruntled Member Posts: 8,218 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    What a great idea, boycott one of the few chains that still sells firearms.
    Ninty-five percent of the sales are completed within two hours in those states that don't have a waiting period. They found a very high percentage of those that didn't pass in three days shouldn't have been sold guns. This sounds like a very wise decision that should be praised not condemned.
  • Ed HowellEd Howell Member Posts: 12 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Wanta read some funny stuff, and most of it purported to be the truth, go to www.walmartsucks.com (if they didn't take it down already)
  • RosieRosie Member Posts: 14,525 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Why don't we just boycott every business in the nation? Hell we could shut down the whole country and move to China! Most of our wifes don't think like we do so let's boycott them to. How about our children? Surely we should boycott them and don't let them in the house because they sure don't think like us.
  • GrandWizardGrandWizard Member Posts: 109 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Dealers discression. If a customer comes back "delayed" it is not mandatory that the gun in transferred after three days.Any dealer with a brain is going to make sure all the bases are covered before transferring a gun. I agree with WalMart. They have the right to run their business as they see fit.

    If they were anti-gun why would they be selling guns in the first place.If you want to boycott someone, boycott Kmart...they suck anyway.
  • daddodaddo Member Posts: 3,408
    edited November -1
    Wal-mart, I'm sure, is trying to protect itself from liability.
    Any buisness can refuse to sale to anyone. It's sad to see them panic though.
  • nelchrisnelchris Member Posts: 557 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    YES THEY HAVE THE RIGHT,BUT SO DO WE I FOR ONE WILL NEVER BUY A ....ING THING FROM THEM AND WOULD HOPE ANYONE WITH HALF A BRAIN WOULD USE IT AND BUY AT A GUN SHOP . PS THINK YOU BONE HEADS
  • DonldDonld Member Posts: 741 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Yeah, given that the new policy is largly political and cosmetic--very few hard core "criminals" are interested in the kinds of long guns Walmart sells--I'm disappointed too, but when you reflect that Walmart actually makes very little on the guns they sell (especially on those they sell to me, since I buy guns there only when they have a great clearance sale) when the time spent filling out all the mandated forms is taken into condsideration, perhaps we should be grateful that they haven't caved in to the widespread pressures to stop selling them altogether. Here in California the combination of federal and state regulations make selling firearms so cumbersome that most places whose primary income is derived from merchandise other than firearms generally keep selling them primarily out of a spirit of obstinancy.
  • thesupermonkeythesupermonkey Member Posts: 3,905 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Nelchris,
    I'm no fan of Walmart, but your local gun shops can be just as bad. I can't speak for everyone, but in my area (Southwest Houston), 'GOOD' Gun shop sellers are few and far between. For example, a few months ago I introduced several of my friends (About 5 or 6) to Makarovs and they all ended up buying one. 9mm Makarov isn't your standard Walmart available ammunition. We started buying our ammo (priced quite reasonably @ 5.95 a box) from a local gun shop. This was only slightly more than I could buy it for in bulk, which saved me from waiting on shipping. We became regulars (despite the fact that the owner was often rude). One day a month or so later our favorite ammunition had jumped 3 dollars a box!!! I asked the owner about it and his reply was "if we wanted it bad enough we would pay it". I told him I'd never be seen in his store again and neither would my friends. I sincerely doubt our combined one or two hundred dollars a month made a significant impact on his business, he didn't seem bothered. I had a previous bad experience with Walmart when I tried to purchase a bolt action 22 and was treated like a columbine kid. I held my head in shame as I entered the store to pick up a few rounds of common stuff (22, 9mm, 45) so I wouldn't have to pay the exorbitant Range Ammo prices. I met a very nice older gentleman, Mr. Bill, who treated me like a person. He took the time (when most don't) to pull out several different brands of 22, 9mm and 45 instead of making me try to read the labels from across the counter. He was friendly, courtess and he even had a SMILE (Gasp) on his face. As he started ring up the total he didn't ask me if I was "on my way to shoot up the neighborhood school yard", but instead he reminisced about shooting with his dad when he was my age. Mr. Bill knows me by name and shakes my hand when he sees me. He may work at Walmart, but as far as I'm concerned I buy ammo from Mr. Bill.


    Don't worry about the bullet with your name on it, worry about the fragmentation grenade addressed 'To Occupant'.
  • interstatepawnllcinterstatepawnllc Member Posts: 9,390
    edited November -1
    Lemme tell ya, Wal-Mart is playing GOD here. Sooooo the federal govt's regs are not stringent enough already??

    I am a firearms dealer and let me tell you something, the feds will delay a transaction for any trivial reason. Reasons totally unrelated to whether or not it would be a good idea for you to own a firearm. Did you fart in the second grade and deny it? DELAYED. Did you once get caught in junior high school with a beer in your backpack? DELAYED. Hmmmmm,...So your wife was pissed when you announced your separation to her so she took out a restraining order on you for spite even though you were no threat to her? DELAYED.

    Listen carefully, The government will DO ANY THING THEY CAN TO DISCOURAGE YOU FROM BUYING OR EVEN WANTING A FIREARM !! We are still blessed by the fact that they will allow a dealer to transfer after three days of their efforts to deny you your rights. Wake up and tell Wal-Mart to play GOD somewhere else!! Excuse me while I PUKE !!
  • NighthawkNighthawk Member Posts: 12,022 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    This post is exactly what I was talking about!!

    Rugster
  • OtomanOtoman Member Posts: 554
    edited November -1
    I agree with Interstate Pawn, my son was delayed on the last firearm that he bought because he was charged with "Disturbing the Peace" 10 years ago. I imagine that this is going to happen everytime he wants to purchase a firearm. The man he bought it from let him have the gun after the waiting period. This is kind of ironic because he has a job in law enforcement so it is not like he is a criminal!

    KIMBER: Pistol du jour. However I have fell in love with my new Kel-Tec P-11 with the grip extension!
  • Wild BillWild Bill Member Posts: 155 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I think it's a good policy. If it means keeping guns out of the hands of people who shouldn't have them in the first place, how can you argue with it? And so what if a FEW people who are actually entitled to have guns are "delayed", by the new policy. It's not like they won't eventually get their gun if they're not legally prevented from owning one.

    "Gun control is not about guns; it's about control." "If guns cause crime, then matches cause arson."
  • salzosalzo Member Posts: 6,396 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Wildbill- I dont think Sarah Brady could have said it better.

    "The powers delegated by the proposed constitution to the federal governmentare few and defined, and will be exercised principally on external objects, as war, peace negotiation, and foreign commerce"
    -James Madison
  • Patrick OdlePatrick Odle Member Posts: 951 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Any change that is made primarily to affect the consumer in a negative fashion cannot be construed to be helpful.

    Remember as demonstrated by school teachings since the middle 60s
    communism can only be effective if it creeps rather than run like a
    river.
  • offerorofferor Member Posts: 8,625 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I think the point here is that we do have a lot of power to put big merchants into financial trouble, and we should use that with some discretion and wisdom. Of course gun shops are going to be in favor of putting discount competitors out of business, so I'm not sure I trust them to fire up the mob about boycotting Wal-Mart, even though I don't shop for guns there (or ammo either, their selection is pretty lame). Let's make sure the people who get the full brunt of our wrath deserve it. I think the jury is still out on Wal-Mart. I'm not going to join the lynch mob quite yet.

    - Life NRA Member
    "If cowardly & dishonorable men shoot unarmed men with army guns, the evil must be prevented by the penitentiary...and not by general deprivation of constitutional privilege." - Arkansas Supreme Court, 1878
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