I talked about doing this the other day. Here's what I mailed the head of Wal-Mart. I recommend you do the same, as real letters make much more of an impression than emails.
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15 April 2008
Lee Scott
Wal-Mart President & CEO
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
Bentonville, Arkansas 72716-8611
Subject: Wal-Mart Taping/Logging Gun sales
Dear Mr. Scott,
This is an incredibly short-sighted move on your part that will alienate many gun owners who have been regular customers. I guess you know your business better than I do. But I know my business better than you, and I guess that means my business won’t be with Wal-Mart.
I don’t get it---why go out of your way to alienate heartland America, your core customer base?
Don’t bother with a weasel-word response. The only thing I’m interested in hearing from you is that you’ve retracted this obnoxious policy and reprimanded the dolt who authorized it. Until then, I’m doing my part to alert other gun owners about this needless betrayal.
I guess business is good enough to where you won’t miss those of us this has pissed off?
Dumb, dumb, dumb.
David Codrea
[ADDRESS]
I wrote a letter to mayor nutter yesterday and sent it to him, I guess he didn't read it sense he has not responded back. I will get one out to Wal-Mart today
ReplyDeleteWhat is really interesting is that they are urging other dealers to follow their lead. I urge other dealers to do the exact opposite. Wal-Mart has handed other gun dealers a meaningful competitive advantage (the opportunity to stake out a pro-liberty position) on a platter.
ReplyDeleteHere in Northeast Texas, Wal-Marts dont even sell guns, unless they are .177 caliber or paintball variety. Even ammo is hard to come by there.
ReplyDeleteWhich is fine by me, I would rather patronize my local gun dealer anyway, and keep him in business...
I cut my sam's club card in half and mailed it to him.
ReplyDeleteWal-Mart's craven cave-in to the Mayor of New York City while disrespecting the rest of America can only hurt their business. I can only suppose that it's not just Bloomberg's influence, but an inherent willingness on the part of Wal-Mart's misleadership.
ReplyDeleteI hope no one buys something expensive from Wal-Mart, breaks it and returns it. (Lawnmower engines don't run very long without oil in them before they break.) Wal-Mart does have such an easy return policy. Seems to me that they are a very big target to be upsetting their public so much. It's hard to "sell for less" and still make a profit when damaged, expensive goods are constantly being returned. Maybe they should videotape Bloomberg instead of their customers. Might be cheaper for them, unless they *really* want to start a war of attrition with gun owners, though it seems to me that they have more to lose in that scenario and are more vulnerable as well.
Abbie Hoffman's "Steal This Book" comes to mind, for some reason.
The ghost of Slim Pickens sez: "Well I'll be danged! You know, that's the fifth danged lawn mower I've bought from this here store and why heck, it just done up and broke too! I just can't believe it! Big store like this here Wally Mart sellin' d-e-e-fective lawnmowers like that! Why, it's a cryin' shame, I tell ya!"
Here's my letter:
ReplyDeleteLee Scott
Wal-Mart President & CEO
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
Bentonville, Arkansas 72716-8611
Mr. Scott:
According to news reports, Wal-Mart has decided to create video dossiers on it’s customers and provide those dossiers to law enforcement upon request.
J.P. Suarez, the chief compliance officer for Wal-Mart Stores Inc., appeared with outspoken gun control advocate Mayor Michael Bloomberg of New York, stating that Wal-Mart is in the process of:
Creating a record and alert system to record when a gun sold at Wal-Mart is later used in a crime. If the purchaser of that gun later tries to buy another gun at Wal-Mart, the system would alert the sales clerk of the prior buy and could refuse to make the sale.
Retaining the recorded images of gun sales in case law enforcement wants to view them later as part of an investigation.
Okay, what is this all about? Why am I to be treated as though I am being booked like a criminal just for exercising my freedom to purchase retail goods?
Wal-Mart has repeatedly testified in court that it bears absolutely no responsibility for crimes committed by violent criminals against it’s customers in the store or in the parking lot, and since you specifically disclaim responsibility for the acts of criminals on your premises, how do you now claim this sort of responsibility for my purchase of firearms from you?
Don’t you and J.P. Suarez realize that if Mayor Bloomberg has his way, there will be NO gun or ammunition sales at any Wal-Mart, anywhere? I’m pretty sure you must, so I wonder what is in it for you? Do you think that Bloomberg will relent and let Wal-Mart into New York City? Is that what this is about? Are you selling out American liberty to a tin-horn Yankee tyrant in hopes of being given a permit to sell to another six or seven million customers? That’s it, isn’t it?
Well, not to worry. I will never buy another firearm at Wal-Mart. Nor will I purchase ammunition. Or cleaning supplies, or targets, or any other form of sporting goods. In fact, I’m done with Wal-Mart entirely. From now on, I’ll take the $15,000.00 plus that I used to spend every year at Wal-Mart, and I’ll buy my food at Harps or Town & Country, and my auto parts at O’Reilly’s, and my guns and ammo from local people you haven’t managed to drive out of business. And with the Internet, I can buy just about anything Wal-Mart sells for less, including shipping.
I am furious that a store clerk like you feels that spying on American citizens is somehow a “responsible” act. I’m sick of your cameras, I’m sick of your store peddling 90% of it’s inventory from China, and I’m sick of your bastardization of the truly benevolent corporate culture that Sam Walton created.
You be sure and let me know when your business model changes back from East German to American.
With sincere disgust,
I was thinking of a way to get Wally World's attention as I drove by one today. We can email all we want and they will continue to do what ever they want. Letters might get more attention.
ReplyDeleteHowever, how is this for an approach? You take a copy of either the Mayor's press release or the AP/Reuters article on it and visit your local Wal-Mart store. You find the manager and politely show him the article and say, "I have been a shopper at your store for X years and have saved my family plenty of money. However, given the new policy that Wal-Mart has adopted, I can no longer morally justify shopping at your store as your company is supporting a group that endangers my family. I'm sorry but that is just the way it is." If enough people do that, it WILL get back to Bentonville and it will be coming from the one source that they can't ignore - their local store managers.
John
One way to get attention is for volunteers to go to every Walmart and "shop" in the sporting goods area to alert all potential customers of shooting related products of Walmart's stance. Having a list of alternative places where the items they wish to purchase can be bought would also be heplful for consumers to make up their minds if they wish to save a few pennies or wish to support freedom and take their hard earned dollars elsewhere.
ReplyDelete