The Wal Between Us

With all the recent hubbub about Wal-Mart’s new gun policies, I have some quick thoughts that I wanted to throw out while the issue is fresh. So fear not, this is not replacing my scheduled post for next week.

1. Wal-Mart is a private corporation. If they want to ban guns on the premises, they have the right to do so, and we should respect their request. Civil disobedience to the government can be appropriate, and we see it in Scripture (Dan. 6); civil disobedience to a private company is more like trespassing than it is like the Boston tea party. If you asked someone not to bring something into your house or business, you would appreciate it if they did what you asked… and that’s the Golden Rule. (Matt. 7:12)

2. Yes, this is true even though we as Americans have a Constitutional right to keep and bear arms. The Constitution was meant as a limitation on the powers of the federal government, not on the powers of individual Americans running their own homes and businesses. They have the right to “refuse service to anyone” if they want to. In other words, the right to keep and bear arms does not equate to the right to shop at Wal-Mart while doing so. If we don’t like their policies, we can call and let them know, and we can take our business elsewhere.

3. “Banning guns on the premises” is actually a far cry from what Wal-Mart did. Basically they are asking customers not to open carry on the premises… in part thanks to folks who were coming in trying to make a statement by carrying their guns. Scared customers, you can imagine. Well, honestly, I can understand such a move on the part of Wal-Mart, and those of us who are trying to defend the 2nd Amendment would do well to consider what kind of picture we are painting of ourselves for our fellow Americans. Parading around Wal-Mart “making a statement” with my big ol’ sidearm or misrepresenting Wal-Mart’s change of position only fuels the narrative that we are scary gun people, rather than responsible folks who want to protect our families and the innocent people around us.

4. I am not saying that I agree with Wal-Mart’s policy change; to the contrary, I am a supporter of open-carry, and this statement will still lead to less law-abiding folks equipped to stop a mass shooter by dealing out hot lead in the dairy aisle.

5. I am also not saying that I agree with Wal-Mart’s statements that came out along with this request; even more to the contrary, those statements and the corresponding vows to stop selling handguns and, effectively, AR-15 ammo, flow from a leftist perspective on firearms with which I quite strongly disagree, but am not addressing in this post.

6. When it comes to open-carry laws, this is an important illustration of why, where open-carry is legal, it should be practiced. The American populace as a whole is sadly gun-ignorant and gun-shy; when we have opportunities to associate “gun” with “polite, well-mannered, nicely dressed guy,” that’s a good idea. It is also good to exercise this opportunity because, as they say, if you don’t use it you lose it.

7. If Wal-Mart had indeed banned the carrying of firearms in their stores- which they have not- then I would posit the following question: should we not all, left and right, be able to agree that such a move would be ineffectual and even dangerous on its face? I’m not debating government gun policy here, but making the straightforward observation that mass shooters aren’t worried about breaking one more law, and knowing that Wal-Mart would now be free of armed customers would only make it a softer target for violence. Without drastic increases in security measures- think TSA and armed guards- such a move would only mean increased danger for shoppers. It sure wouldn’t make me feel safer.

8. The national trend towards corporate leftism and virtue-signaling provides wonderful opportunity for conservatives to start businesses that are unashamed to stand against the cultural tide and to stand for traditional American values. I’m more interested in Christian values, myself, but I’m just pointing out that Chick-Fil-A is doing great, y’all.

9. If you are committed to giving your life for the innocent, and if you can legally conceal carry to your local Wal-Mart, then bring your piece. Keep your gun clean and your training sharp. It’s a crazy world out there, and our world needs men who will rise up to protect the innocent. (Deut. 22:27)

That’s all for now.

Carry on.

#Conservative #WalMart #Guns #2ndAmendment #Freedom #America