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Wal-Mart tightens gun policy
Josey1
Member Posts: 9,598 ✭✭
Wal-Mart tightens gun policy
Stores told not to sell firearms if authorities can't clear purchasers
WASHINGTON - Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the nation's biggest seller of guns, has quietly ordered its stores to adopt a policy on sales that's tougher than federal law requires and is drawing criticism from gun-rights groups.
Wal-Mart executives, in an internal memo obtained by the Los Angeles Times, told store managers five weeks ago to stop selling firearms if authorities were not able to determine whether the would-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 buyer's status is unclear.
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 retailer's prominence in the national marketplace could put pressure on other major gun sellers to follow suit in voluntarily withholding firearms from buyers if it is unclear whether they are allowed to own one.
Wal-Mart's decision drew immediate criticism from the National Rifle Association and other gun-rights groups, which questioned the legality of the unannounced policy shift and hinted that they might seek to organize a boycott against the retailing giant. Such a move could alienate Wal-Mart from its core customer base in middle America.
In the vast majority of the more than 8 million gun checks a year, authorities determine the buyer's status in a matter of minutes or hours, confirming whether the would-be buyer has a felony record, has been institutionalized or is otherwise banned from owning a gun. Once no disqualifications are found, the gun dealer is allowed to complete the sale.
But in about 5 percent of sales, the buyer's legal status cannot immediately be determined - often because of similar names, lost paperwork or poor record-keeping.
Studies show that sales that proceed by default - when the three-day term limit runs out - produce a disproportionately high number of cases of customers getting guns when they shouldn't have.
Americans for Gun Safety, a moderate gun-control group in Washington, found in a recent study that in a 2 ? 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 three days.
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 Kmart - to adopt a "don't know, don't sell" policy.
Wal-Mart did not respond to Americans for Gun Safety directly. But internally, the letter prompted Wal-Mart executives to research the issue, Wal-Mart spokeswoman Jessica Eldred said, resulting in the policy shift.
http://www.dallasnews.com/business/stories/070302dnbuswalmart.cfcf0.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
Stores told not to sell firearms if authorities can't clear purchasers
WASHINGTON - Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the nation's biggest seller of guns, has quietly ordered its stores to adopt a policy on sales that's tougher than federal law requires and is drawing criticism from gun-rights groups.
Wal-Mart executives, in an internal memo obtained by the Los Angeles Times, told store managers five weeks ago to stop selling firearms if authorities were not able to determine whether the would-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 buyer's status is unclear.
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 retailer's prominence in the national marketplace could put pressure on other major gun sellers to follow suit in voluntarily withholding firearms from buyers if it is unclear whether they are allowed to own one.
Wal-Mart's decision drew immediate criticism from the National Rifle Association and other gun-rights groups, which questioned the legality of the unannounced policy shift and hinted that they might seek to organize a boycott against the retailing giant. Such a move could alienate Wal-Mart from its core customer base in middle America.
In the vast majority of the more than 8 million gun checks a year, authorities determine the buyer's status in a matter of minutes or hours, confirming whether the would-be buyer has a felony record, has been institutionalized or is otherwise banned from owning a gun. Once no disqualifications are found, the gun dealer is allowed to complete the sale.
But in about 5 percent of sales, the buyer's legal status cannot immediately be determined - often because of similar names, lost paperwork or poor record-keeping.
Studies show that sales that proceed by default - when the three-day term limit runs out - produce a disproportionately high number of cases of customers getting guns when they shouldn't have.
Americans for Gun Safety, a moderate gun-control group in Washington, found in a recent study that in a 2 ? 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 three days.
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 Kmart - to adopt a "don't know, don't sell" policy.
Wal-Mart did not respond to Americans for Gun Safety directly. But internally, the letter prompted Wal-Mart executives to research the issue, Wal-Mart spokeswoman Jessica Eldred said, resulting in the policy shift.
http://www.dallasnews.com/business/stories/070302dnbuswalmart.cfcf0.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
By Eric Lichtblau
Los Angeles Times
July 03, 2002
WASHINGTON - Wal-Mart, the United States' biggest seller of guns, has quietly ordered its stores to adopt a tougher policy on gun sales that goes beyond the requirements of the federal government and is sure to provoke opposition from gun owners.
Wal-Mart executives, in an internal memorandum obtained by the Los Angeles Times, told store managers five weeks ago to stop selling firearms in cases in which authorities were not able to determine whether the would-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 buyer's status is unclear.
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 retailer's prominence in the national marketplace could put pressure on other major gun sellers to follow suit in voluntarily withholding firearms from buyers if it is unclear whether they are allowed to own one, observers said.
Wal-Mart's decision drew immediate fire from the National Rifle Association and other gun-rights groups, which questioned the legality of the unannounced policy shift and hinted that they might seek to organize a boycott against the retailing giant.
Such a move could alienate Wal-Mart from its core customer base in middle America.
http://arizonarepublic.com/news/articles/0703guns03.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
By BRIAN SKOLOFF
The Associated Press
7/4/02 4:48 AM
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) -- Wal-Mart, the nation's largest gun seller, has implemented a rule requiring customers to be approved in a background check before they can buy rifles and shotguns, in a policy that exceeds federal guidelines and represents a victory for gun-safety advocates.
After the retail giant's own research showed that weapons it sold were being used in crimes, the company began requiring background clearance for all gun buyers, no matter how long it takes.
The new policy applies to rifles and shotguns sold at Wal-Mart; the retail chain does not sell handguns.
Under current federal law, background checks through the National Instant Criminal Background Check System are required for anyone attempting to purchase a gun. If the results are not returned within three business days, the dealer may complete the sale.
"When we looked into this, we found that the statistics show that a high proportion of the applications not approved within three business days would have been denied," Wal-Mart spokeswoman Jessica Moser Eldred said. "We wanted to make sure we were doing our part to keep guns out of the hands of those who should not be getting them."
Most background checks are completed within minutes, and 95 percent are done in two hours or less. Gun-safety advocates said the remaining five percent should not be given guns until a background check has been completed.
Nine states have standards that exceed federal guidelines for purchasing firearms, though Arkansas, where Wal-Mart is based, is not among them.
Details of the Wal-Mart policy are set forth in an internal memo from the Bentonville-based retailer obtained by The Associated Press. Eldred confirmed that the memo had been sent out last month to all 2,600 American stores and that the new policy is now in effect.
"Selling one gun to somebody who should not be buying it was one too many for us," she said.
In April, the Americans for Gun Safety Foundation sent a letter to Wal-Mart and other firearms sellers -- including Big 5, Gart Sports, Sports Authority and Kmart -- asking them to adopt the so-called "don't know, don't sell" policy.
Recent research showed that, during an 18-month period, more than 10,000 criminals nationwide obtained guns through licensed dealers because their background checks could not be completed within three days, according to the foundation.
"People who have been convicted of felonies, people under restraining orders ... are all supposed to be stopped by these background checks, but they're not stopped," foundation president Matthew Bennett said.
Bennett applauded Wal-Mart's new policy and said other large retailers may follow suit. "It's absolutely a step in the right direction," he said. "Wal-Mart is by far the biggest retailer of guns."
Officials at the National Instant Criminal Background Check System support the policy as an extra layer of protection against criminals obtaining guns.
Gary Wick, the system's assistant operations manager, said the policy adopted by Wal-Mart and other gun dealers can help prevent potentially dangerous situations.
But National Rifle Association spokesman Andrew Arulanandam said Wal-Mart's new policy "penalizes law abiding citizens."
Arulanandam said the NRA has not yet decided how it will respond.
"While we're presently not considering a boycott of Wal-Mart ... we're not going to say there is not going to be any action," he said.
http://www.nj.com/newsflash/business/index.ssf?/cgi-free/getstory_ssf.cgi?f0018_BC_Wal-Mart-Guns&&news&newsflash-financial
"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
Rugster
- 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
Will also be sending an email to corporate telling them of my intent.
Has to start somewhere.
Happy Bullet Holes!
They said it was "To prevent gang-bangers from killing each other."
I asked them "Does this mean that they won't kill the guy the next day?"
Morons...........boycott'em, I say.
Merc
NO! You may not have my guns! Now go crawl back into your hole!
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"Tolerating things you may not necessarily like is part of being free" - Larry Flynt