As the cry for tighter gun control laws sounds louder throughout America and right here in Tampa Bay, major retailers are reacting.
Walmart has announced plans to stop selling the Bushmaster Patrolman's Carbine M4A3 Rifle through its online store.
That particular assault rifle is in the same family of guns as the one Adam Lanza, the 20-year-old shooter in the Newtown massacre, reportedly used in the massacre, the Huffington Post reports.
Dick’s Sporting Goods, which has a number of Tampa Bay area locations, has also announced a shift in its stocking preferences. That store has suspended the sale of some semi-automatic weapons from all stores in the chain.
In a statement, the store said it ordered the move out of respect for the victims and families of Newtown. Friday’s shooting left 20 children, all between the ages of 6 and 7, and six adults, plus the shooter, dead.
“We are extremely saddened by the unspeakable tragedy that occurred last week in Newtown, CT, and our hearts go out to the victims and their families, and to the entire community,” a statement on the Dick’s website said.
Locally, to pass a ban on assault weapons immediately. She joins a chorus of others, including President Barack Obama, who say now is the time to act.
The National Rifle Association has even ended its post-Newtown silence, issuing a vague statement that it is ready to make “meaningful contributions.” The Second Amendment rights lobbying group plans a press conference on Friday to elaborate on the statement.
Here’s what we’d like to know Tampa Bay: Do you think the actions of Walmart and Dick’s go far enough? Are politicians just saber rattling or do you think the time for an all-out ban has come? What would you consider a “meaningful contribution” from the NRA? Share your thoughts in the comments section.
You have already lost your rights and personal liberties. So hmmmm, yeah already happened. Why do you think every phone call, text message, online search/interaction is recorded and stored by our government. Your movements with a cell phone have been tracked for approximately a decade. So what personal liberties are you protect from the tyrannical government right now. Are you already risen up?
"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."
What did G.W. Bush do with 9-11? Really, that is your statement.
The reason they don't is because we don't do anything about it with the most powerful voice we have. Our vote and our dollar. When is the last time the Nation has considered a candidate outside of the two major candidates running? Or honestly asked why Billions of dollars are going to campaigns, but not to fix the issues hurting our nation. We aren't in a crisis due to Left/Right, we are in a crisis because we as a society don't care.
How many people would be dead in Arora Colorodo if the crazy just had a knife? How many kids in CT would still have their lives ahead of them if the wacko had to reload every six shots? People kill, not guns, but guns make it easier for them to get the job done like they do.
If one of the principals or teachers had carried, the man could have been killed himself instead of those brave people who threw themselves unarmed in front of an assault rifle. The problem is not the type of gun. The problem is the fore thought to deter the problem happening before it happened. Isn't interesting that 11 armed guards protect our presidents child and our own children are left unprotected because of a few people that are afraid of guns? I grew up in an age when students brought guns to school in pickup trucks in a thing called a gun rack. Never had a problem back then. People need to think and protect their own. I would rather shoot that wait on a cop if my children or I were threatened. You think the gunman will wait for the cops to arrive?
Lets permit hand granades too, I mean why not really kick ass & take names? We can just forget the semi-automatic crap. Lets just sell machine guns to anyone that has the money. What the hell if crazys can kill any of us with ease? We'll just shoot back & turn the streets into the killing zones we want. If they don't like guns, we can cut their bellys open with bayonets. We're Americans so we can arm ourselves to the teeth. It's our right bestowed by the founding Fathers. You know who they were, they were inspired by God to give us devine guidance that has no no need to change with the changing times. Some crazys want to use sense & change with the times. That's for Obama lovers. We're true Americans. we're the master race & we're armed & in kill mode.
Banning assault rifles because a lunatic goes out and kills a bunch of poor kids is a crazy as banning gasoline because someone has been drinking and driving and runs a school bus off the road and kills everyone on board. Life sucks but there is no easy fix people. Talk of banning guns is a knee jerk reaction and is like putting a band-aid on a decapitation! Did you know? 32,367 people died in car crashes in 2011 9,878 due to DUI 8,583 shooting deaths 257 from assault rifles 2,064 from bladed type weapons 440,000 deaths due to tobacco use So according to the above statistics it would appear we are going after the wrong ban. Maybe we need to start with tobacco, and then we can move on to maybe alcohol and then finally cars.
your statement is a joke not the NRA If we hade NO NRA we would have NO GUNS today Think of all the lifes were saved buy Guns MORE GUN LAWS WILL NOT HELP A THING we have 20,000 gun laws now on the books in the USA