Is WalMart The Next Disarmed Victim Zone?

No open carry in WalMart February 20, 2007. Is the next mass murder by a madman going to happen in a crowded WalMart near you?

After nearly five months open carrying all over Wyoming and western SD, I had my first really negative experience. I've carried in a SD Walmart for three plus months, with only friendly questions from both customers and clerks on occasion.

Today, I was confronted by a manager type shortly after I picked up some ammunition. She said they have a "policy" that they have to walk the ammo to the counter. This is news to me, of course, since I've bought ammo almost every time I've been there with no question. The clerks at the sporting goods dept have never given me any indication of this "policy," including this time.

I told her I wasn't done shopping. We talked briefly about why I open carry, and I handed her one of my OCcards. She walked away and I figured that was the end of it.

About 45 minutes later (I'd been shopping for two hours and had a cart full), she came back and said she'd talked to her supervisors and they needed to walk me to the checkout. I told her to go ahead and take the ammo, if she needed to, but THEN she said, something like: "Oh, we need to get the gun out of here too."

So, it wasn't about the ammo at all!

She couldn't even be honest or consistent, and I'll bet there is no "policy." I suspect it's just this "manager" who thinks she can make it up to suit herself. She was sure to let me know she had a "law enforcement background" and was obviously contemptuous of someone who was merely trained by the NRA.

I told her I'd be glad to take the gun out (leave) since they were obviously not interested in my business - or the safety of their customers. She trotted out the "private property" thing and I agreed totally. I told her they could do whatever they wanted on their property, and I didn't have to shop there. I left more than $400. worth of merchandise in that cart. Wonder what the "supervisors" thought of that!! (Want to bet nobody told them about that part?)

I plan to write a polite letter to the management of that store with copies to the regional and national headquarters. If I learn that there really is some new policy - official or otherwise - against self defense at WalMart, the gloves come off. This story will be sent to every liberty oriented and gun rights organization I can locate. It will be posted on every blog and forum I can find.

And I'll be sure to send them a sign to post on their doorway so those who are willing to defend themselves and their customers will know to shop elsewhere.

See the signs here.

I won't be returning to Walmart unless I get an apology and an invitation to return - with my sidearm!

If that happens, I'll be sure to publicize WalMart's cooperation just as vigorously as I would have spread the bad news of disarmament. Maybe they can be persuaded to post this sign instead?