After a mass shooting at a Walmart in El Paso, TX, the company has decided to remove their violent video game displays yet continue to sell guns.
What We Know:
- With a country fighting for gun control after two more mass shootings, Walmart has decided to continue to selling guns. Instead, in an effort to combat gun violence, they are pulling they’re violent video game displays and any movie displays that reference gun violence. This comes after President Trump blames “gruesome and grisly video games” as a contributing factor to mass shootings.
- With studies showing no clear link being gun violence and violent video games, many people are outraged at the company’s decision. Many shoppers have decided to stop shopping at the store, like going to Target instead, until changes have been made. The tag #BoycottWalmart has been trending on Twitter in relation to the protest.
So after a mass shooting occurs, Wal-Mart decides the proper response is to remove "violent" video game displays but continue the sales of guns and ammunition??? Are you kidding me?!?!??! Take the biggest of L's for this Wal-Mart. #BoycottWalmart pic.twitter.com/QqhnTMV5Mh
— DiscipleDashni (@DiscipleDashni) August 9, 2019
- The American Federation of Teachers has also threatened to stop using Walmart. The AFT is the nation’s largest teachers union with around 1.7 million members. They’re demanding that the retail giant stops selling guns and stop supporting politicians who oppose gun control. AFT President Randi Weingarten wrote an open letter to Walmart in reference to the boycott. “If Walmart continues to provide funding to lawmakers who are standing in the way of gun reform, teachers and students should reconsider doing their back-to-school shopping at your stores.”
- In the past, Walmart has made changes to their firearm policy. The company stopped selling handguns in the 1990s. In 2015, they stopped the sell of assault-style firearms. After the Parkland shooting in Florida, they also restricted the sale of guns and ammunition to anyone under 21. “Right now, there have been no changes to our firearms policy” advised Walmart spokesperson Randy Hargrove.
- Walmart CEO Doug McMullon made a Facebook post responding to the situation. “We are a learning organization, and, as you can imagine, we will work as to understand the many important issues that arise from El Paso and Southaven, as well as those that have been raised in the broader national discussion around gun violence.”
Walmart claims that the removal of the displays was to show respect in regards to the mass shootings but that that is not a long-term change.
