Walmart CEO Doug McMillan should listen to his customers and hold lawmakers accountable.

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? 

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. 

Demand Walmart CEO Doug McMillan take action now. 

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.

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! 

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 age13 -- 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! 

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. https://act.colorofchange.org/go/182027?t=10&akid=35526%2E4731121%2ERdin8X
  2. "Gunman Kills 9 in Dayton Entertainment District." NY Times.com https://act.colorofchange.org/go/171909?t=12&akid=35526%2E4731121%2ERdin8X
  3. Ibid
  4. Ibid.
  5. Gun Violence Statistics. Giffords Law Center. https://act.colorofchange.org/go/171936?t=14&akid=35526%2E4731121%2ERdin8X
  6. "Walmart removes 1,000 third-party items from its website after mass shootings." CNN. https://act.colorofchange.org/go/171948?t=16&akid=35526%2E4731121%2ERdin8X
  7. "Everything We Know About the Dayton Mass Shooting." Intelligencer. http://act.colorofchange.org/go/167561?t=18&akid=35526%2E4731121%2ERdin8X
  8. "Dylann Roof Is Sentenced to Death in Charleston Church Massacre." NY Times.com https://act.colorofchange.org/go/167562?t=20&akid=35526%2E4731121%2ERdin8X
  9. "El Paso shooting suspect said he targeted Mexicans, police say." The Los Angeles Times https://act.colorofchange.org/go/170872?t=22&akid=35526%2E4731121%2ERdin8X
  10. Ibid.
  11. Gun Violence. https://act.colorofchange.org/go/170873?t=24&akid=35526%2E4731121%2ERdin8X
  12. Gun Violence Statistics. Giffords Law Center. https://act.colorofchange.org/go/171936?t=26&akid=35526%2E4731121%2ERdin8X
  13. Ibid.
  14. "Walmart's political group has given millions to GOP lawmakers who oppose gun control." Yahoo.com  https://act.colorofchange.org/go/170874?t=28&akid=35526%2E4731121%2ERdin8X
  15. "The NRA Has Long Urged Americans To Arm Themselves Against An Immigrant Invasion." HuffPost. https://act.colorofchange.org/go/170875?t=30&akid=35526%2E4731121%2ERdin8X
  16. History.com https://act.colorofchange.org/go/170876?t=32&akid=35526%2E4731121%2ERdin8X
  17. "Walmart, site of recent shootings, has a complicated history with guns." Washington Post. https://act.colorofchange.org/go/167563?t=34&akid=35526%2E4731121%2ERdin8X
  18. "There have been more mass shootings than days this year." CBS NEWS.  https://act.colorofchange.org/go/171910?t=36&akid=35526%2E4731121%2ERdin8X

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