Just over three weeks ago, two people in Pennsylvania were killed in their car with ammunition purchased at Walmart. Over a period of several weeks this spring, a 22-year-old man killed seven men and women in New Jersey and Pennsylvania with ammunition purchased at Walmart. And in March, a Cornell student killed his father in New York using a firearm purchased at Walmart. All this according to reports from local enforcement.
As communities across our nation continue to bleed, one thing is clear: America loves its guns, and no one sells guns better than Walmart.
In 2013, more than 33,000 Americans were killed by guns, and there’s no end in sight for this disturbing reality. Dysfunction in Washington has stalled any meaningful federal action on gun control. So it’s increasingly up to big cities like New York to take bold steps to get weapons off our streets and change the national discourse.
While New York City cannot prevent other jurisdictions from selling firearms, it has taken a powerful stance against guns by divesting pension funds from gun manufacturers.
But the city still invests heavily in gun retailers, like Walmart, that supply guns to millions of Americans that end up on our streets and around the country. In fact, the New York City pension systems collectively hold over five million shares of Walmart stock — totaling hundreds of millions of public pension dollars.
This is why, as both the city’s public advocate and a trustee of the New York City Employee Retirement System, I have formally called on all five of the city’s pension boards to immediately divest all funds from Walmart, the nation’s largest gun and ammunition retailer.
Walmart markets its gun department as “sports and outdoors,’ but let us get one thing straight: They are not just selling hunting rifles. Walmart stocks assault rifles with high-capacity magazines and ammunition. Nearly half of their U.S. stores sell guns and ammunition, and more than a quarter of all Walmart locations sell semi-automatic weapons.
It is time for us to soundly reject the notion that high-capacity magazines and military-style assault weapons have any legitimate purpose in our society. Walmart CEO Douglas McMillon has been clear that Walmart will continue to sell guns, saying that the sports and outdoors department is an integral part of the company.
And Walmart has doubled down on its shameless gun peddling by actively opposing stricter gun regulations through its political contributions. Walmart’s PAC has given millions to candidates endorsed by the National Rifle Association over the last several election cycles.
Prior to succumbing to increased public scrutiny, Walmart also supported the American Legislative Exchange Council — a conservative advocacy group that actively opposes sensible gun reform and who played a direct role in drafting Florida’s infamous “Stand Your Ground” law.
Walmart recently made a big show out of its decision to stop selling Confederate flags. But it means nothing to stop selling symbols of hate, when they continue to sell the tools used to turn that hate into deadly violence.
If we want real change, we have to hit Walmart where it hurts: in their pocketbook. New York City must divest the hundreds of millions of dollars we have invested in Walmart for far too long, dollars that are only fueling violence and undermining the greater public interest. Once our nation’s largest city does so, I know other states and municipalities will follow suit.
James is New York City’s public advocate.
