RE: Wal Mart?
Oldelkhunter, let me clear up some points that you said about Wal-Mart.
1.When you said "stupid" you really have no idea who you are talking about. The management really doesn't have a say in what is stocked in their store. Wal-Mart has people working for them called "Buyers". These people go around to different companies to see what Wal-Mart can sell to the general public. After the "Buyer" buys the items from the company then Wal-Mart has the pleasure of seeing which stores get the merchandise. Wal-Mart tries to send the merchandise to where it will sell the most and make the most profit. Think about it: Where would you send the most thermal underwear? Colorado or Mississippi? The way that Wal-Mart shelfs are stocked is by things called "modulars". This is basically a blueprint that comes down from our Home Office (aka Bentonville, AR). We have to make our shelfs and merchandise look exactly like the "modular" says. Home Office decides what goes on the shelf, how many facings of merchadise is allowed, and how big the section is going to be. So it is not the "management" or "employees" of the store that decide what goes on our shelfs but people crunching numbers at our Home Office.
2. I agree that there are some "gun illiterate" associates at Wal-Mart. Here again I stress that we are not a "Gun Goods Department" but a "Sporting Goods Department". We handle more than just the hunting season. Most associates in Sporting Goods departments have to learn about the department as they go along. I bet that everything you know about guns has been collected throughout your life. No one just walked up to you and gave you a complete lesson on guns. You learned everything thru time and I'm sure those associates will too.
3. I'm sure the associate at the Customer Service Desk could have been a little more "friendly" when you took your gun to the Service Desk. Question: Did an associate walk you to the Service Desk when you entered the store with your firearm? If not, then they should have. When people bring guns to Wal-Mart they are suppose to have their gun taken from them and walked to Customer Service. Only policemen are allowed to have a firearm on them in the store. I have had instances that people have pulled out guns on me back at the Sporting Goods counter. When your not expecting it then it can make you a little jumpy. Especially when you don't know that person or there motives. In this day and age you can't be to careful.
The reason for not trading guns is simple. Like you said, "There are totally gun illiterate people in most Walmart stores." Then why would we want a gun illiterate person trading guns with the general public. The guns that Wal-Mart sells comes from authorized gun distributors with FFL's (Federal Firearms License). These are the same people that the small stores order their guns from. We are not going to trade guns with people and we don't know what firing condition they are in or the history behind the gun. This can lead to messed up Firearm Log Books and who knows what else.