Walgreens, CVS and Wegmans all announced Thursday that the companies would begin asking customers to not open carry firearms in their stores. The move comes on the heels of Walmart and Kroger making similar announcements regarding open carry.
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National Retailers Ask for No Open Carry in Stores
We recently reported on Walmart’s recent decision to discourage open carry. The retailer also made the controversial move to stop selling handgun ammunition nationwide, along with pulling handguns sales from Alaska stores, the final holdout of a bygone era. This after its CEO publicly stated its time the country looks at reestablishing the assault weapons ban. Once a staple for American sportsmen and gun owners, Walmart finally drew its line in the sand. However, the company is firmly on a side opposing those that support the 2nd Amendment.
Now Walgreens and CVS, major pharmacy retailers, and Wegmans, a supermarket chain, join this reactionary movement against gun owners.
“We are joining other retailers in asking our customers to no longer openly carry firearms into our stores other than authorized law enforcement officials,” Walgreens said in a statement posted to its website.
While Walgreens asked only law enforcement officers openly carry, Wegmans characterized its move as one aimed at safety. Meanwhile, CVS said it joined a “growing chorus”
“There’s nothing more important than the safety of our customers & employees,” Wegmans tweeted. The company made it clear it “prefers” customers not open carry in its stores, according to reuters.com.
“We join a growing chorus of businesses in requesting that our customers, other than authorized law enforcement personnel, do not bring firearms into our stores,” said a CVS statement, according to reuters.com.
It seems we’ve turned yet another corner in the fight against gun control. With each shooting comes more instances where segments of corporate America attempt to legislate law-abiding gun owners. The divide, it seems, grows daily.
