John,
Walmart, the country’s largest retailer, recently announced that its
stores will discontinue the sale of ammunition for assault rifles and
handguns -- but this does not go far enough. While the new policy will
make ammunition less accessible to white nationalists who want to kill
Black and Brown people, Walmart will continue selling long barrel deer
rifles and shotguns.^1
To make matters worse, Walmart has not addressed its complicit
relationship with the NRA. The NRA is a racist institution that has
corrupted political leaders at the highest levels, and it’s what continues
to give the gun lobby a foothold in our communities. It’s no coincidence
that the top 10 recipients of NRA cash also receive donations from
Walmart.
That is why, in less than one week, we are going straight to Walmart's
headquarters to deliver our petition demanding CEO Doug McMillon stop
selling guns and donating to NRA-backed politicians. Over 25,000 Color of
Change members have already joined the call -- but John, your
name is missing. Will you join our movement to hold major corporations
like Walmart accountable for gun violence in our communities?
[ [link removed] ]Tell Walmart: Stop selling ALL firearms and donating to NRA-backed
politicians.
Until justice is real,
-- Scott, Rashad, Arisha, Erika, Clarise, Marybeth, Marena, Leonard,
Madison, Tamar, Malachi and the rest of the Color of Change team
P.S. Read our previous email for more information below.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
We're calling on Walmart to stop selling guns and donating to NRA-backed
politicians.
[ [link removed] ][IMG]
Demand Walmart CEO Doug McMillan take action now.
[ [link removed] ][IMG]
Dear John,
Just a few weeks ago, we saw two deadly mass shooting happen within 24
hours of each other.^1
A shooting in Dayton, OH killed nine people and injured 27.^2 The shooting
at Walmart in El Paso, TX killed 22 and injured at least 24.^3 Every
single time a mass shooting happens, politicians strain their voices to
say we need gun reform--and nothing happens. But we know all too well that
mass shootings are not the only kind of gun violence plaguing America.
Black communities have been dealing with gun violence happening in our
communities every single day. In fact, gun violence is the leading cause
of death for Black Americans under age 44.^4
The fact of the matter is, people are dying every single day from guns.
But companies like Walmart would rather stop selling shooting video games
than stop selling the things that are actually killing people.^5
That’s why we’re joining forces with Guns Down, to call on Walmart, the
nation’s largest gun retailer, to stop selling guns, and stop making
political contributions to lawmakers who take money from the National
Rifle Association (NRA). We know that if Walmart stops selling guns, it
will mean fewer guns on the street and fewer opportunities for tragedies
to occur in our communities. We must come together and hold corporations
like Walmart accountable for their role in making guns more available both
to mass shooters, but also in Black communities. And if we succeed, it
will send a message to decision-makers that the time for passive apathy
and letting people die has come to an end.
[ [link removed] ]Sign the petition: Call on Walmart CEO Doug McMillan to act now.
Black and Brown communities are targeted by both white supremacist
terrorists and inter-community violence--the harm is two-fold. Six out of
the nine people who died in Dayton, OH were Black.^6 In the Charleston
church Massacre of 2015, Dylann Roof waited until Black church members
bowed their heads in prayer, before he fired over 70 shots, killing 9
Black churchgoers.^7 In El Paso, Texas Patrick Crisius drove more than 10
hours to target Mexican people.^8 His social media history even left a
trail of blatantly racist posts directed at the increasing population of
Latinx people in the U.S., especially at the Texas southern border.^9
With almost 12,000 gun murders per year in the US, most of those young
Black and Latino males, it’s crucial for us to implement real
change.^7 Black kids are 10 times more likely to be killed in a gun
homicide than white children.^8 And while Black men only make up 7% of the
total population, we make up 53% of the people killed by guns.^9 Simply
put, this is not an issue we can afford to ignore. Getting companies like
Walmart to end its gun sales and contributions to lawmakers who take money
from the NRA is just one solution amongst many, including community
cease-fire programs, that we need to stop gun violence. But it's a crucial
step forward to get the attention of decision-makers and stop lining the
pockets of the NRA.
The NRA is a racist institution that has corrupted political leaders at
the highest levels, and it’s what continues to give the gun lobby a
foothold in our communities. It’s no coincidence that the top 10
recipients of NRA cash also receive donations from Walmart.^10 The NRA has
a history of pushing xenophobic narratives that the only way “law-abiding”
Americans can protect themselves from a potential invasion of foreigners
from Mexico is by stocking up on guns and weaponry.^11 The only time we’ve
seen the NRA promote gun regulation was in 1968 which was aimed at keeping
guns out of the hands of Black people.^12 The NRA poses the biggest threat
to the safety of our communities -- they must be stopped!
[ [link removed] ]Our lives are on the line. CEO Doug McMillan must do his part and stop
enabling these racist attacks on Black and Brown people.
Over the years, Walmart has been forced to restrict firearms, and we can
win if we pressure them now. In 1993, they stopped selling handguns, in
2015 they phased out assault weapons, and in 2018 they raised the
purchasing age^13 -- we have a real opportunity to push them even further
on this issue. Walmart doesn't care about gun violence. But they care
about their bottom line. We have to call on CEO Doug McMillan to listen to
his customers and move toward holding decision-makers accountable.
John, there have been at least 255 mass shootings this year,
that means there have been more mass shootings this year than days in the
year.^14 This issue will only continue to get worse if we don’t demand
action!
[ [link removed] ]Tell Walmart: Stop selling guns and donating to NRA-backed politicians.
Until justice is real,
--Scott, Rashad, Arisha, Erika, Clarise, Marybeth, Marena, Leonard,
Madison, Tamar, Malachi and the rest of the Color of Change team
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
References:
1. "Walmart ends all handgun ammunition sales and asks customers not to
carry guns into stores."
CNN.com. [ [link removed] ][link removed]
2. "Gunman Kills 9 in Dayton Entertainment District." NY
Times.com [ [link removed] ][link removed]
3. Ibid
4. Ibid.
5. Gun Violence Statistics. Giffords Law
Center. [ [link removed] ][link removed]
6. "Walmart removes 1,000 third-party items from its website after mass
shootings." CNN.
[link removed]
7. "Everything We Know About the Dayton Mass Shooting."
Intelligencer. [ [link removed] ][link removed]
8. "Dylann Roof Is Sentenced to Death in Charleston Church Massacre." NY
Times.com
[ [link removed] ][link removed]
9. "El Paso shooting suspect said he targeted Mexicans, police say." The
Los Angeles
Times [ [link removed] ][link removed]
10. Ibid.
11. Gun Violence. [link removed]
12. Gun Violence Statistics. Giffords Law
Center. [ [link removed] ][link removed]
13. Ibid.
14. "Walmart's political group has given millions to GOP lawmakers who
oppose gun control."
Yahoo.com [ [link removed] ][link removed]
15. "The NRA Has Long Urged Americans To Arm Themselves Against An
Immigrant Invasion."
HuffPost. [ [link removed] ][link removed]
16. History.com
[ [link removed] ][link removed]
17. "Walmart, site of recent shootings, has a complicated history with
guns." Washington
Post. [ [link removed] ][link removed]
18. "There have been more mass shootings than days this year." CBS
NEWS. [ [link removed] ][link removed]
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[ [link removed] ]Color Of Change is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black
folks and our allies, and win real social and political change. [ [link removed] ]Help
keep our movement strong.
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