Everytown, Bloomberg still telling Walmart how to sell guns

Be aware Walmart videotapes all firearm transactions.

Walmart became a charter member of the Responsible Firearms Retailer Partnership, which the nation’s largest retailer organized in 2019 along with Everytown for Gun Safety — one of former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s Astroturf (not grassroots) anti-gun groups.

The agreement requires Walmart to videotape all firearm sales and stop selling handguns, handgun ammunition, SBRs and tactical ammunition: .223, 5.56, .300 Blackout, 7.62x39mm and .224 Valkyrie.

In addition, Walmart agreed to stop selling firearms to anyone under 21, even where it was allowed by state law.

There was another caveat in the agreement with Bloomberg: “Motivated by our desire to create a safe environment in our stores and clubs, we request that customers no longer openly carry firearms into Walmart or Sam’s Club locations in states where open carry is permitted – unless they are authorized law enforcement.”

Walmart’s Senior Vice President J.P. Suarez said then that the retail chain signed Bloomberg’s 10-point code to “fine tune the things we’re already doing and further strengthen our standards. We hope other retailers will join us in adopting the code.”

As you can imagine, when the agreement was signed, Bloomberg’s employees were ecstatic.

“The announcements from Walmart and Dick’s Sporting Goods today reflect the values of the American public, who are united in a call for common sense on guns. This is a clear signal to businesses across the country that it’s safe to do what’s right. Americans will stand with businesses that stand for our safety,” said Everytown president John Feinblatt.

“Two major gun retailers made major policy changes today that will make Americans safer. These corporate policy wins are additional proof points that the tide has turned in favor of gun safety. It should also be a call to action for Congress: there’s simply no reason for lawmakers not to immediately pass comprehensive gun safety legislation. Just as companies are realizing that cozying up to the gun lobby is bad business, lawmakers should see the writing on the wall: America is rejecting the NRA lobbyists’ dangerous agenda,” said head Demanding Mom Shannon Watts.

At the time, the partnership drew little fanfare. There were a few stories on pro-gun websites, one story from Reuters, but little else.

An astute reader pointed out this week that the agreement is still in effect. The details are still posted on Walmart’s corporate website, but, apparently, it’s something the giant retailer doesn’t want to discuss. Walmart’s corporate communications division did not return emails seeking comment for this story. (They don’t accept phone calls.)

Their agreement with Bloomberg never caught on. The Responsible Firearms Retailer Partnership was pushed by an anti-gun group in Philadelphia for a few years. They managed to coerce a few local gun dealers to sign. There is no mention of the partnership on the Everytown website, other than a few old press releases. Apparently, nationally, it fizzled, yet Walmart is marching to the sound of Bloomberg’s tiny drum.   

The first sentence of the company’s 2019 press release announcing the agreement states: “Walmart has a long heritage as a company of serving hunters and sportsmen and women.” This statement was true at the time. They did serve hunters, shooters and sportsmen and women. They don’t now. They haven’t since 2019.

Until Walmart rescinds its agreement with Bloomberg, I won’t be shopping there. That’s the thing about Bloomberg and his traveling cavalcade of crazy. Once you hop into bed with these clowns, you wake up the next day covered in clown makeup, which the whole world can see.