Gun violence solution not found in disarming good people

It’s been a busy summer dealing with mass shooters in America.

Two back to back shootings in Texas and Ohio that killed more than 30 people in early August left us concerned that the culture of violence was escalating. Having another incident in Texas with seven more dead has prompted even more discussion on the Second Amendment and how closely we should be adhering to it.

Those are just the shootings that actually happened. Tips prevented four other shootings from potentially happening. One of those involved a hotel cook who threatened to shoot his co-workers, and when the guy was arrested, authorities found an arsenal of weapons in his home.

Anger and arsenals — never a good combination.

However, it becomes very easy and convenient to pin the blame on guns. People fail to remember that there are millions of gun owners out there who have never used their weapon to resolve their frustration. The guns are there for protection, but when one is used in a crime, all some people can see is the weapon and not the person behind it.

The debate continues in the halls of the United States government, but there is already some decision-making in the business sector. Walmart’s corporate office announced Tuesday that it would stop selling handgun ammunition in the hopes of not continuing the cycle of violence in America. Of course, having a lawsuit filed against the company in regards to what happened in El Paso on Aug. 3 probably had something to do with that, but it seems like a good precaution.

Also part of Walmart’s edict is that they plan to discourage people who patronize their stores from open-carrying guns. That goes away from narrowing the supply line and instead indicates that everyone who owns a gun is a threat.

The lawsuit filed against Walmart claims that if the store had security guards, the mass shooting in El Paso could have been prevented. It’s certainly possible guards could have affected the outcome, but it’s no guarantee. We’ve had shootings in malls and shopping centers that have security, but unless you plan on posting guards at every corner of the store, you’ll still find someone crazy who will try to satisfy their rage with a blanket of bullets.

Besides, it appears Walmart is forgetting the past. I point to a Washington Post story from 2018. A gunman opened fire inside a Walmart in Washington state and wound up paying for it with his life when a customer carrying a gun decided to fight back.

The incident didn’t even start out as an attempt to shoot up the store. The Post reported that the initial police call indicated a drunk driver was traveling the wrong way on a road, and that escalated to a carjacking where people were injured. Tim Day then arrived at the Walmart, fired some shots into a display case and ran back out to attempt another carjacking. That’s when two people with guns confronted Day, and one shot him.

A witness at the scene named Brian Adams told a Washington television station that something far worse could have happened if Day had not been confronted by people with the ability to fight back.

“He is a hero,” Adams said. “If this customer hadn’t done what he did, who knows what would have happened.”

With the mass shootings that have taken place over the years, we’ve focused on the shooters and failed to see that there are other people out there who have guns and understand how to use them properly. To disarm them is not going to stem mass shootings. It’s going to make them additional targets — additional victims.

We don’t need more victims. We need more stories of good people rising up and dealing with the bad people, and just the bad people. If Congress doesn’t have a solution, then we, the people, have to take charge, and if that means we carry our guns to protect ourselves, our families and our friends, so be it.

I acknowledge that Walmart is in a difficult position with the lawsuit, and it’s not easy figuring out a solution after a crime has been committed. Walmart should definitely consider hiring security guards, especially for its bigger stores. The plan to stop selling ammunition is also sound, even though people will just go elsewhere for the bullets.

What is not wise is for Walmart to tell the good guys to leave their guns at home. If that is going to be Walmart’s policy, then the company needs to put up signs at every entrance saying “Enter at your own peril,” and the policy will just be a dog whistle for any future gunmen looking for easy pickings when they decide to finally go off the deep end.

Lee Pulaski is the city editor for the Shawano Leader. Readers can contact him at lpulaski@newmedia-wi.com.