Gun Business: Wal-Mart Loads Up With Guns in U.S. Stores
This week CNN.com reported that Wal-Mart has announced that it will be restocking many of its U.S. stores in an effort to combat slumping sales. It was in 2006 that the world’s largest retailer stopped carrying firearms in all but 1,300 stores.
Beginning soon Wal-Mart will carry long guns including rifles and shotguns in about half of its 4,000 stores, although handguns will only be sold in select stores in Alaska.
The stores that will carry the firearms will reportedly be in areas where hunting and fishing are popular, and CNN.com noted that a spokesman for the company indicated that the majority of firearms sold at Wal-Mart are made in the United States.
Background checks will be required for all purchases.
Pro Gun Story That is Also a Feel Good Story
NECN reported that a Vermont museum has acquired a large collection of vintage firearms, noting that these antique guns help document “the history of Vermont gunmaking.”
The collection will go on display at the Shelburne Museum next spring. The news site noted:
“The 106-gun collection, amassed by Terry Tyler, consists of firearms manufactured in the state in the 18th and 19th centuries. Among them: Hunting rifles, pistols and military guns from the Mexican-American and Civil Wars, some with stocks made of tiger maple, burled walnut and other decorative woods. The exhibit, ‘Lock, Stock and Barrel: The Terry Tyler Collection of Vermont Firearms,’ opens May 15 at the museum.”
Finally, praising of the history of guns in the media.
The Sun of San Bernardino Previews City’s First-Ever Gun Buyback Event
The Sun had some not so sunny ways to describe San Bernardino’s “first-ever gun buyback event.” The paper offered this introduction:
“Old rifles, pistols and shotguns can be traded for grocery store gift cards.”
This passage suggests that this “old” stuff is probably not worth much, so getting $50 gift card or even a $100 for an “assault weapon” probably sounds like a good deal. Of course the paper also had to throw in some feel good community human interests too with this quote from Lt. Keith Prostler:
“We’re going to be able to remove guns off the street and at the same time provide a holiday meal for that family as well.”
OK, the event didn’t happen yet (it is scheduled for December 18), so how is Prostler able to predict that this even will “be able to remove guns off the street?” That is a pretty bold statement in our minds, especially given the pittance that the city is offering for those “old” guns.
More Gun Buybacks – More Mainstream Media Information
The problem with gun buybacks is that not only do we believe that these seldom (if ever) actually get guns off the streets, but they spread misinformation. This week saw several such programs and here is a quick recap.
Shore News Today reported on a gun buyback in Pleasantville, NJ, where the police collected 257 handguns, 111 rifles and 97 shotguns. “In all, $29,730 was doled out to people,” reports the paper. Doled is a good word. But the paper also quoted Atlantic County Prosecutor Ted Housel as saying, “Every gun turned in is another gun that can’t end up in the hands of a criminal.” This is a statement made all too often, and is insulting at best and an outright lie at worst. That is akin to saying, “every car could be used by a drunk driver.” If safety precautions are followed, few if any guns should end up in the hands of criminals, but anti-gun zealots and the mainstream media like to imply otherwise.
ABC6.com noted that New Bedford, Mass. also held a gun buyback, with the mayor being quoted as saying, “illegal guns are the weapons of mass destruction in our cities.” But the question do these buybacks really get guns off the streets? The reporting from ABC6.com never questioned this fact, only offering sound bites from those organizing the event.
Likewise, The Boston Herald also reported on the event, noting it was a “gun safety exchange.” Maybe they’re right, people were exchanging their safety for a few bucks. In this report it was noted, “Mayor Scott Lang sayst he program will make the city safer.” No counterpoint of course.
KLFY.com reported on the four Baton Rouge churches traded gas cards “to anyone turning in a handgun or assault weapon.” Of course the news outlet doesn’t really note what exactly is an assault weapon. But of course that is far from the only concern. The story notes, “The ‘Gas for Guns’ program targets illegally held of unwanted weapons.” Again, any proof that “illegally held” guns are ever turned in at these things?
Essentially, these events are reported on with little counterpoint and are human interest feel good stories. The truth is that these probably do little good, as they pay people a fraction of a firearms worth, likely get few if any illegal guns off the street, and never address the larger issue that the criminals remain on the streets.
Dallas Morning News: “Vast firearms collection”
We could have filed this one under “Who Guards the Guards” as it involves a “former Dallas FBI agent accused of illegally stockpiling weapons and plotting the murder of his wife and another officer.” But we actually noted that the headline of the story in The Dallas Morning News states “Vast firearms collection listed in indictment of former Dallas FBI agent accused of murder plot.” Read more
How Will Anti-Gun Groups React to New Chrysler Ram Truck?
During the recent economic downturn the mainstream media regularly noted that gun sales were up while sales of just about everything else remained sluggish. Of course the mainstream media also ignored the fact that the gun sales have been on a steady rise for the past 27-years but those facts probably got in the way of a good story. What will be interesting is how the anti-gun groups, and the mainstream media react to the a new Chrysler Ram Truck that is part o the Outdoorsman line?
AutoRevolution is reporting that these autos – as in automobiles of course, not automatics – will be fitted with The Mopar RamBox Holster, a lockable, watertight compartment that can be mounted on either side of a pickup bed. This is a $205 option, on top of the $1895 price of the RamBox feature, and it can be used to lock up two rifles or shotguns.
But anti-gun groups shouldn’t complain, because the way we look at it is simple. If guns are selling, shouldn’t this a feature to help get the cars selling again?
Firing Back: Chicago’s Take on Long Guns
This week we’re seeing a lot of the fallout of last week’s Supreme Court ruling. Chicago has attempted to do an end run around the Supreme Court of the United States – the highest court in the land – by coming up with new and extremely vague laws.
One part we missed at first is only getting minor play in the mainstream media. So far we haven’t seen much pickup on it either, suggesting that it is something the city is trying to slip through. Numerous news organizations, such as Bloomberg Businessweek noted it however:
“The new law limits possession of handguns to the home and possession of long guns to places of business.”
Are we reading this right? Long guns can only be held in places of businesses? Is it just us, or does this statement make no sense? Most workers, blue collar or white collar, probably don’t take a rifle or shotgun to work. So exactly what “place of business” requires or is suitable for a long gun? This sounds like a way to make it so difficult and impossible to own such an item that people won’t bother. Nice way to get around the Constitution. Let the lawsuits begin.
Huff and Puff Plays Loose With the Facts
We don’t expect The Huffington Post to be unbiased on the issue of firearms, nor do we expect them to be completely factual on the issue either. They didn’t let us down. In responding to the Supreme Court ruling, Josh Sugarmann offers the commentary: “McDonald Gun Case: More Deaths, Unending Litigation.”
OK, so much for anything but an editorial. But we should add that Sugarmann is also executive director of the Violence Policy Center in Washington, D.C. so we shouldn’t expect anything but anti-gun rhetoric.He offers the usual anti-gun rant, and that’s fine. But he also plays loose with the facts, noting the situation in D.C.:
“And contrary to the claims of the gun lobby, America’s cities are not waiting expectantly to exercise this newfound right offered by the Court. According to DC Police Chief Cathy Lanier, in the two years since the 2008 Heller decision overturning DC’s handgun ban, only 900 firearms have been registered in the District that otherwise could not have been registered before the ruling. The citizens of DC have thus far rejected the wrong-headed notion that more guns make us safer.”
What Sugarmann fails to note is that D.C. requires gun owners to take training courses (which cost money), spend time on the firing range (more money) and spend at least four hours in a classroom for course on gun safety (even still more money). On top of that the city has a weapons registry program that requires everyone to go through multiple background checks and get fingerprinted. Imagine if the process to be fingerprinted was required for anything beyond guns?
Civil libertarians would be up in arms, and liberals would call it an invasion of privacy. But this is what D.C. requires. And… all of the above, as in New York City, costs money. Now in fairness, the D.C. fees are less than New York City fees, but it costs about $60 in fees for handguns and $48 in fees for rifles and shotguns. Now this doesn’t include the costs you’ll have to pay to a certified range instructor.
Whether or not you agree with this being necessary to obtain a gun is not the issue, but what is the issue is that Sugarmann never notes these requirements. Could this be why only 900 firearms have been registered? And finally, do you ever think criminals will ever bother? We don’t believe they would.
KOLD Says “Guns Off Streets”
If you’re a viewer of KOLD TV in Los Angeles you might have heard that things are going to be so much better now. At least that’s how a recent news story sounded:
“More than 2500 guns, rifles and assault weapons are now off the streets of Los Angeles. Over the weekend, L.A. residents were encouraged to turn in their weapons in exchange for $100 gift cards. It was part of the Los Angeles Police Department’s gun buyback program.”
Again, we ask whether there is any proof these guns were ever “on the streets” in the first place? Likewise, we ponder the question whether taxpayers realized that they paid $250,000 to get buyback these guns? For a state that has a hard time running it seems like a waste of a quarter of a million dollars. Couldn’t more police officers have been hired with that money instead?
Doctors Take Aim at Guns
Watch out, soon the American mainstream media could be reporting the “expert” opinion of doctors on the issues of firearms. In a story from north of the border, CTV.ca offers:
“A group of emergency doctors, nurses and suicide prevention workers asked members of Parliament to vote against a federal bill that seeks to quash the long-gun registry. The group says a significant drop in gun-related suicide since 1995 is evidence the registry works and scrapping it would set them back years in suicide prevention.”
Neither the political motivation, nor the actual size of this “group” is ever actually mentioned, however the article suggests it is at least “61 organizations and medical professionals.” So again, we have to question the motivation, and according to the article the biggest concern is suicide, because a long gun (rifle, shotgun), would offer a far greater success than other methods, notably an overdose. We counter that a long gun would also be better for hunting and home defense than pills.
