Wal-Mart and Handguns

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In Fort Gibson, Oklahoma on December 7, 1999 a 13-year-old boy shot four classmates at school with his father's handgun. His father had purchased the gun six years earlier at Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart had stopped stocking handguns in its stores in 1993, but not before the boy's father had purchased the gun that would bring tragedy six years later.

Wal-Mart is now the world's largest corporation. With annual sales of $218 billion, Wal-Mart rivals the gross domestic product of the world's 22nd largest economy, Austria. Wal-Mart is the world's largest overall retailer, and sells more groceries, toys, and jewelry than any other chain in the United States. It is also the world's largest private employer, with 1.2 million people.

A company this successful does not need to sell handgun ammunition. But still, Wal-Mart, which does not release sales figures on its ammunition, continues to sell handgun bullets, bullets that kill people. People that die because Wal-Mart sells bullets. Here are just a few of these people:

On August 27, 1999 Bryan Midgette was arrested for abusing his wife, Marsha. Despite a restraining order, Bryan tracked Marsha down three days later at the Wal-Mart in Pottstown, Pennsylvania where she worked. He purchased bullets for his .22 caliber handgun in the store, then chased Marsha through the aisles and shot her before killing himself. Marsha survived, but suffers from severe brain damage.

For ten years, James Easton Kelly had studied towards a graduate degree in English at the University of Arkansas. Then, his professor, John R. Locke, informed him that due to his lack of progress towards his doctorate, the school was dismissing him. At 11:27 AM on Monday, August 28th, 2000 Kelly went to a Wal-Mart 10 miles from the Fayetteville campus and purchased 50 rounds of .38 caliber bullets. He then returned to the school, went to Locke's office and, shortly after noon, shot Locke three times, killing him instantly. Kelly then turned the gun on himself.

On May 22, 2001 Laura Gassaway entered a Wal-Mart in Rockford, Illinois, went to the sporting goods section and tried to purchase bullets for her handgun. After the clerk refused to sell to her because she did not have a state firearm owners identification card, Gassaway began shoplifting other items before store security stopped her. The security officers called the police and then took Gassaway to the back of the store. There, she pulled a handgun from her purse and shot three security guards before police burst in and killed her.

During an argument with his estranged wife on July 31, 2001, John VanGraafeiland threatened to go to Wal-Mart, buy bullets and kill himself. Police contacted the two local Wal-Mart's in Wilmington, North Carolina, warning them not to sell bullets to the man, but no one told the clerk selling the ammunition. After purchasing the bullets, VanGraafeiland went to his car and killed himself. Wal-Mart eventually settled a lawsuit brought by his family, paying them $130,000 for their negligence.

Each bullet Wal-Mart sells could kill a human being, and far too often, they actually do. This is blood on Wal-Mart's hands. Wal-Mart refuses to sell certain books, films, and music that the corporate honchos deem offensive. Many albums have to be censored just to make it on Wal-Mart's shelves. The company actively seeks to protect us from unwholesome messages that could corrupt our minds and our society, yet they sell ammunition that can and does kill people.

Whether it is murdered Professor John Locke or suicidal John VanGraafeiland, none of these people should have died and Wal-Mart should have played no role in their deaths. The same for Tyrone Montgomery and Gayle Isleib of Manchester, Connecticut. They worked together at a Wal-Mart. Then, one night, Montgomery shot and killed Isleib in her driveway and then killed himself. Or Jose Martinez who shot and killed Steven Dale Jenkins after a dispute at a restaurant in Ventura, California. How many more Wal-Mart bullets have to show up at crime scenes, how many more families have to mourn before Wal-Mart decides that saving our lives is more important than any amount of money, and more important than protecting us from the offensive lyrics of today's popular music.

Sometimes, the lyrics aren't even offensive. On her second album, Sheryl Crow wrote a song about the true case of two children in Florida who bought bullets at a Wal-Mart in 1992 and then killed a man. Wal-Mart refused to sell the album, and Crow was locked out of the world's largest retail store.

According to Wal-Mart, Sam Walton built the company on three basic beliefs: Respect for the Individual; Service to Our Customers; and Strive for Excellence. The selling of handgun ammunition that is repeatedly used in murders and suicides violates all three beliefs. In the words of Wal-Mart: "We're nothing without our customers." That's one more reason why they shouldn't want to see their customers dead.

Right now, sign the "Wal-Mart Is Nothing Without Its Customers" Petition. Bullets have no place at the world's largest corporation. We call on Wal-Mart to immediately stop the sale of handgun ammunition. Until Wal-Mart does this, we pledge to never again shop at Wal-Mart. Too many people have already died. Wal-Mart must remove this merchandise before anyone else is added to the list.

i know we have talked about this before, but this person is saying guns kill ppl and bullits kill ppl. well that waht i make out of it.
 
In a related story, some Wal-mart's also sell food. Since they sell such items, they are instigating weight gain for some people. Therefore, I will sue Wal-Mart. And this is only a start.

Giant Supermarkets, Shoppers Food Warehouse, Winn Dixie...you are next.

Imagine the suit I can bring against Barnes & Noble. All the paper cuts that they have caused......$$$$$$
 
people need to take the blame andresponsibility for their own actions or lack there of:mad:
 
When Walmart caves in to the anti gun un-americans, I'll just stop shopping there, as will millions of other legally armed americans.

K-mart stopped selling handgun ammo too, look what happend to them.

Constituionaly protected, legally armed americans have spoken with their wallets.

Signed:

Gmcbreadtrk
Permit # TN 8089156

NRA Member since 70
 
Damn, what an annoying story. You would think Wallmart was the only place you could buy ammo. If they caved in and stopped selling ammo for this crap, they would lose me as a customer.
 
Originally posted by TexasRaceLady
mmmm, maybe I should sue Krispy Kreme donuts for the added pounds.

Wait a minute here. KK is headquartered right here in WS and we don't need anymore suits against companies based here. RJR has been hit pretty good. :)
 
I'm sure this liberal has the cure for this problem right here. Why didn't we think of that? Just get Wal-mart to quit selling it and the problem goes away.
 
guns have nothing to do with the murders riseing in america

I just love to see drive by stoneings and candlestick beatings dont you.
 
Originally posted by gmcbreadtrk
When Walmart caves in to the anti gun un-americans, I'll just stop shopping there, as will millions of other legally armed  americans.

K-mart stopped selling handgun ammo too, look what happend to them.

Constituionaly protected, legally armed americans have spoken with their wallets.

Signed:

Gmcbreadtrk
Permit # TN 8089156

NRA Member since 70

what is the biggest majority or people that shop at wal-mart. Hillbillies. what is the biggest percentage of people that own guns. Hillbillies.
wal-mart gets rid of guns and they lose millions of $$$$.
my dad stopped drinking anhuser-busch beer after he found they support gun control. and he's a hillbilly
 
They might loose alot of money but I doubt they would close down, and I also doubt kmart closed down because they stoped selling guns and bullets.
 
Originally posted by TexasRaceLady
mmmm, maybe I should sue Krispy Kreme donuts for the added pounds.

Can I join that suit? I have gained a few pounds and could use alittle cash :D
 
As long as their following the rules, there's no reason for Wal-Mart to close down.

However, I do find it alittle humorous that they still sell ammo and guns, yet they feel the need to tell us what music we can listen to. I can't stand Wal-Mart, refuse to shop there unless I have no other choice. But I fail to see what they are doing wrong as far as selling guns.
 
I'm all for taking handguns to WalMart. Most of the people I see there need a good shooting anyway. Spare chromosomes as far as the eye can see. Talk about Goontown, that's the....wait, you meant selling them, didn't you. Sorry. Nevermind. :p
 
Originally posted by j ozzman 5000
what is the biggest majority or people that shop at wal-mart. Hillbillies. what is the biggest percentage of people that own guns. Hillbillies.
wal-mart gets rid of guns and they lose millions of $$$$.
my dad stopped drinking anhuser-busch beer after he found they support gun control. and he's a hillbilly

This is a joke, right?


guns have nothing to do with the murders riseing in america I just love to see drive by stoneings and candlestick beatings dont you.

And this just doesn't make any sense....
 
Define Hillbilly...


I can define donkey hole, but I won't.
 
Hey breadtrk, looked at yer site and all I can say is. "He's everywhere, he's everywhere!" :) Guess you've hear that one before.
 
Originally posted by fergy1370
And this just doesn't make any sense....

alot of people say guns have nothing to do with crime and murders riseing if there werent guns people would use other things. There are drive by shootings in some citys every week. I was being sarcastic, like if there werent handguns people would do drive by stoneings or candlestick beatings.
 
Originally posted by smack500
alot of people say guns have nothing to do with crime and murders riseing if there werent guns people would use other things. There are drive by shootings in some citys every week. I was being sarcastic, like if there werent handguns people would do drive by stoneings or candlestick beatings.


The problem with your sarcastic comment is that it makes no sense what so ever. Gun control will not remove guns from criminals...........just law abidding citizens is all it will take away from. I live in one of the areas you speak of about drive by shootings..........it's more than once a week (almost daily). Gun control (handguns, "assault" rifles, hunting rifles, shot guns, etc) will not stop drive bys.........I believe it would actually increase drive bys. Stones and candlesticks will not be used..........it will be the same weapons used now.

Your statement sort of proves the point......when sarcasm is taken into account.:)
 
The problem Smack is that yuo do not have to go to Wallmart to buy ammo. And ammo from the gunshop works just as well in drive bys and accidental shootings and whatever.

Yes I am a hillbilly and no, I do not own and would not own a gun.
 
strange look at the crimes with handguns per thousand people compare us to countrys like canada or united kingdom.

According to a recent international survey, among males fifteen to twenty-four, the U.S. homicide rate is 21.9 per 100,000. Compare that to 1.4 per 100,000 in France, or 1.2 per 100,000 in England, or 0.5 per 100,000 in Japan. Homicide rates among young adults in the United States are twenty-nine times as high as in Japan and thirty-six times as high as in Great Britain. The risk of being robbed is 208 times greater in the U.S. than in Japan! More people are murdered in Los Angeles in an average month than in Great Britain during the course of a year. The United States far outpaces all other developed countries in homicide deaths. It's ten times higher than neighboring Canada's.
Taken in 2000
 
Look at the punishments for murder, rape and robbery overseas and then look at the punishments here in the US.....

Maybe if we start putting rapist and murderers to death a little more often, maybe our numbers would drop.
 
Originally posted by fergy1370
Look at the punishments for murder, rape and robbery overseas and then look at the punishments here in the US.....

Maybe if we start putting rapist and murderers to death a little more often, maybe our numbers would drop.

I'm all for that, but then we have to change this ridiculous constant appeal process!!
 
Today, while more than half of the countries in the world have abolished the death penalty in law or practice, the United States continues to use the death penalty in all but 12 states (plus the District of Columbia). From January 1977 through April 2001, 710 executions were carried out in this country: 545 by lethal injection, 149 by electrocution, 11 by gas chamber, three by hanging, and two by firing squad.

According to Amnesty International, more than three countries a year on average have abolished the death penalty in law since 1976 or have gone from abolishing it for ordinary crimes to abolishing it for all crimes. Seventy-five countries and territories, including Australia, Germany, and Spain, refuse to impose the death penalty for any crime.

Of the countries that still permit the death penalty, only five use lethal injection, the most common method of execution in the United States. Seventy-three of those countries use firing squads, 58 hang condemned criminals, six stone them, and three still use beheading (Congo, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates).


United States


There were 85 executions in the United States in 2000, down 13% from 1999 when executions were carried out at an unparalleled rate for this country. Ninety-eight people were executed in 20 states in 1999. That's one execution every 3.72 days, a rate substantially higher than 1997, when the U.S. executed 74 people, and 1998, when 68 criminals were executed. In fact, almost half (352) of the U.S.' post-1976 executions have taken place in the last five years.


As of early 1999, 65 countries had abolished the death penalty, including the members of the European Union. Some other countries retained capital punishment only for treason and war crimes, while in others, death remained a penalty at law, though in practice there had not been any executions for decades. Among countries that retained the death penalty for ordinary crimes were many in the Caribbean, Africa, and Asia. The United States and China were believed to impose capital punishment most frequently.
 
So, since our homicide rate is 21.9 per 100,000 and we put 85 people to death in 2000, looks like to me that we should start executing people a little faster so we can catch up.
 
capitol punishment evidently isn't solving much. We have more death penalties then just about anyone and still have a homicide rate more then just about anyone. Kill Kill Kill
 
oh and as for those other countries listed canada has no death penalty and The execution rate in Japan is a small fraction of that in the U.S.
 
I'm sorry, but I don't want to be like those other countries in Europe, Asia or anyplace else. We have more freedom than any other people in the world and that's the way I want to keep it. We are losing more and more freedom everyday because someone thinks there's a better way by making a law. It just doesn't work that way. It's been said many times before, if our country is so terrible, why oh why are so many people trying to get in?
 
Originally posted by buckaroo
We have more freedom than any other people in the world and that's the way I want to keep it.  

We have more freedom in america than canada, britain, or austrailia...
 
Originally posted by smack500
We have more freedom in america than canada, britain, or austrailia...



I believe that is an accurate statement.
 
Oh yea gun control laws excuse me, wow thats helped us alot too.
 
Smack.........do some thinking on your own. That is an gun control advocacy site.

Before you posted this post, you had a post wanting proof.......evidently you deleted it and put this one instead. You seem to have a problem stating your case on your own. I'm posting my opinions........along with my knowledge of the Constitution to state my case. You seem intent on stating someone elses opinion.

Tell us your ideas..........not posting someone else's ideas. And, given time I could come up with just as many stats as you to disprove your numbers. Statistics are so easy to skew.
 
I just got one thing to say: Stronger punishments, less crimes. Thats the way it should be.
 
IF thats the case then why do we give out more death penalties then most countries and still have a higher homicide rate then most countries.
 
i say if a 18 year old wants a hand gun. seel it to him. if he ueses it in a un-lawfull way. he will go to jail. and never be able to own anoter gun.
 
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