Below is a letter to Wal-Mart which I placed in the mail last night regarding their recent decision to ask customers to not open carry firearms.

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
702 S.W. 8th Street
Bentonville, Arkansas 72716

September 7^th, 2019

To Whom It May Concern,

Many years I have shopped at Wal-Mart stores, mostly enjoyably. But there came a time after the passing of Mr Sam that Wal-Mart gained the moniker China-Mart, and rightly so as the vast majority of products sold were sourced from the Asian rim. I became rather scarce around Wal-Mart stores. When I did shop at Wal-Mart, I often shopped by country of origin. If I was shopping for socks for example I would buy the ones made in the country that hates us least. Malaysia (Communist, largely Islamic and hostile to non-Muslims), India (Largely Hindu and largely peaceful), Mexico (Corrupt government that refuses to police violent drug cartels, floods our borders with illegals, actively soliciting US industry jobs); I choose India. If shopping for bandages (Band-Aids) if I found China (Communist, wholesale theft of US intellectual property, human rights violators) or Canada (A strategic ally and peaceful.), I choose Canada. Happily I have found US Made bandages on the shelves of late. It has nothing to do with hate or bigotry, I simply refuse to line the pockets of countries that hate our way of life, our freedoms and values.

In recent years there seems to have been a revival of some of Mr Sam’s ideals; more and more items have a prominently placed Made In U.S.A. logo, I like that. My shopping trips to Wal-Mart have increased in recent years as I have found it easier to support American Jobs. I’m still a label reader, and the placement of Made In U.S.A. and US products has made it easier.

In recent days Wal-Mart has caved to the vocal minority anti-gun lobby following a shooting in a Wal-Mart store. Any violent death is tragic, let me be clear about that at the outset. However I must state the obvious, (1)Criminals Don’t Obey Laws; Never Have, Never Will. And I must also state the obvious, (2)A Good Guy With A Gun Stopped A Bad Guy With A Gun. A third obvious statement is that (3)If Guns Were Banned, Outlawed, Confiscated; the good guys, ONLY the Law Abiding Citizens Would Be Disarmed, Not The Criminals; see obvious statement #1 above.

I have a Concealed Handgun Permit, aka Concealed Carry Permit, and regularly carry. I went to and passed the training required by my State, I was Finger-printed, had an extensive Criminal and Mental Background Check before my permit was issued. In 6 years of carrying a concealed firearm I have never had to draw my weapon in defense of myself or another. That said, I have been approached by aggressive panhandlers in the parking lots of Wal-Marts and at Murphy Gas. I have always been able to de-escalate. I don’t take the responsibility of carrying a firearm lightly and others that I know who carry do so with a serious mindset as well.

I am appreciative of the fact that Wal-Mart has only at this point banned Open Carry. Open Carry is legal in my State without a permit, but strategically I prefer Concealed Carry lest a would be attacker target me for an ambush to steal my weapon to do harm. I am not threatening boycott of Wal-Mart at this point, but be sure that I will look for other options if Wal-Mart continues the anti-Second Amendment path.

Wal-Mart has benefited greatly under the Free Enterprise model that this country affords, it also has a responsibility to afford it’s customers safety when we shop at Wal-Mart stores. Evil people will always walk among us, but making good people unable to protect themselves is not the answer.

Regards,

Richard Craver