President McMillon
There have been 64 mass shootings in the US in the last decade, and they are getting more frequent and deadlier. The response of our best and brightest — our elected officials — has been … nothing. People blame Republicans for being in the pocket of the NRA. They are. But worse, Democrats controlled both houses and rendered themselves flaccid on this issue. They blame the other side for being better at their jobs. There has been more legislation on tobacco than guns in the last decade.
The shooting at an El Paso Walmart, which killed 22 and injured 26, moved Walmart’s management to do something. Instead of offering thoughts and prayers, they chose action. Thoughts and prayers haven’t been as effective as Senator McConnell or the NRA promised. Rather than ******** optics and NRA-funded delay and obfuscation, the management of the world's largest retailer did what our elected leaders are supposed to do — listen, then act.
The hope of a republic is that genius solutions can be crafted from conflict, debate, and mutual respect. Government is tasked with preventing a tragedy of the commons, forming a consensus solution, and acting. Think what the government has done so far on gun control and contrast to Walmart, which has:
Discontinued the sale of handguns and military-style rifles
Increased the minimum age for purchasing a firearm from 18 to 21
Required a “green light” instead of just no “red light”
Started videotaping the sale of guns and only allowing sales by trained associates
Invested in technology for robust background checks
Discontinued the sale of handgun and short-barrel rifle ammunition
Asked customers to not exercise their open-carry rights when in a Walmart
The company has also offered to share their background check technology with other retailers.
So, this matters. Our government has impact on long-term issues — climate, healthcare, income inequality, civil rights. But doesn't Walmart have more impact on the US in the short and medium term? The retailer is the largest private employer in the US, and serves 265 million shoppers a week worldwide. The firm's top-line revenues are larger than the GDP of Hong Kong, and 75% of store ops management started as hourly employees. 57% of Walmart employees are women and, if a contiguous mass, Walmart real estate would be larger than Manhattan. Isn't Walmart, at this moment, more the United States than the capital of the United States is?
Walmart accomplished what we'd hope for from our elected leaders. Striking a balance, threading the needle between constituencies, and crafting a solution that hopefully prevents more tragedies of the commons. Reaching a solution that likely reduces future massacres and reflects the will of the majority of Americans — access to guns, but not weapons of war, by law-abiding citizens after a background check.
Doug McMillon and Donald Trump walk into a bar. One acts presidential, the other is president.
