The retail chain Walmart has reportedly instructed its employees in an internal memo to remove advertisements for video games that depict violence. However, its corporate policy regarding the sale of firearms remains unchanged.
This is particularly important for Walmart: Last Saturday, in a Walmart store in El Paso, Texas, a gunman shot 22 people and injured 24 others.
Therefore, the public is now paying special attention to how Walmart responds to this incident.
Leading US Republican politicians and US President Donald Trump have assigned some blame to video games for the shootings. They contribute to the dehumanization of individuals.
Retail chain instructs employees: Remove gaming ads
This is the response: As a freelance writer reported on Twitter, there is an internal memo at Walmart. The letter instructs employees to immediately remove all advertisements and signs that indicate “violent or aggressive content.”
If the employee is unsure whether to remove something or leave it, they should remove it.
The memorandum provides specific instructions that also pertain to video games:
- Employees should turn off all TVs and monitors that display demos of games featuring violence – especially on PlayStation or Xbox. These demos will be replaced in the coming weeks.
- All events related to “fighting games” or “third-person shooters” should also be canceled.
- Employees should thoroughly examine the entire store for any signs of fighting games or third-person shooters.
- No movies featuring violence should be shown.
- Also, videos in the sporting goods department related to hunting should be removed.
What else is happening? According to USA Today, Walmart has no plans to change its corporate policy regarding firearms.
In this context, spokespersons from “anti-gun” initiatives are calling for exactly that from Walmart: “Walmart is such a big player, if they really got involved in this matter, it could make a real difference,” says the founder of “Guns Down America”.
A spokesperson for another initiative, “Mothers Demand Action”, praises Walmart for some changes in the past. Walmart stopped selling semi-automatic rifles in 2015.
However, this spokesperson also says: “One thing we have long demanded from them is to prohibit the open carry of firearms in their stores. The next time someone walks through a store door with a firearm, there should be no question about whether they pose a threat.”
Walmart itself states that it has always had strict policies regarding the sale of firearms that exceed legal requirements.
