In the wake of last week’s tragedy in El Paso, Texas, Mega-Corporation Walmart has decided it’s going to stop advertising violent games and movies. Ironically, the company has decided that it will continue to sell guns and keep playing it’s hunting advertisements on the TVs. Some employees have posted a recent memo that was handed out on Twitter.
The world’s largest retailer, which is also the world’s largest seller of guns and ammunition, is following what certain political figures and pointing the finger at violent media for something to blame for these senseless crimes. Even though there have been major studies in the past decade that show no link between violent video games and violent actions.
https://twitter.com/shepardcdr/status/1159235488898830338?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1159235488898830338&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com%2F2019%2F08%2F09%2Fbusiness%2Fwalmart-violent-video-games%2Findex.html
After handing out the memo to employees, ordering them to take down and unplug anything promoting violent media, Walmart CEO Doug Mcmillon stated,
We will work to understand the many important issues that arise from El Paso and Southaven, as well as those that have been raised in the broader national discussion around gun violence
Walmart has, in fact, stopped selling assault-style guns after the Sandy Hook Tragedy in 2015 and will not sell any guns to anyone under the age of 21. There has been a petition following the choice of change.org to stop blaming the gaming industry for their problems and stop selling guns in their stores.
This, of course, is a short term solution to a long term problem. As soon as this dies down, Walmart will start putting these ads back up in there stores. The video game industry is too much of a big money maker to ignore and put on the sideline to not advertise.
What do you think of these changes by Walmart? Do you believe there is a link between video games and violence? Let us know in the comments below.
