Wal-Mart Awaits Verdict in Suit Seeking Ban on Sale of ‘High Capacity Guns’

On December 1 Breitbart News reported on a suit NYC’s Trinity Church brought against Wal-Mart to force the retailer to allow shareholders to vote on the sale of “high capacity guns.” These are guns that take “high capacity” magazines, the sale of which Trinity Church also opposes.

Wal-Mart lost the original suit but is now expecting a possible ruling on appeal on April 8.

According to The Washington Times, Trinity Church argues that “Wal-Mart’s willingness to sell high capacity magazine rifles contradicts its promises to uphold community and family values.”

Trinity Church’s Rev. James H. Cooper contends that the goal of the suit is not “anti-gun,” because the church is not seeking to bar the sale of every kind of gun. Rather, they are only seeking a ban on the sale of the most popular rifle in the nation–the AR-15.

Cooper wrote:

Now and in the future, Trinity’s pastoral mission will maintain its focus on issues that the parish believes are critical to the welfare of communities and society, under the broad umbrella of justice and fairness that our oath represents.

Gun Owners of America legal counsel Mike Hammond says Trinity’s non-profit status should be changed if the church does indeed want to focus on “political activism rather than church activity.” He described the church as a “temple of political liberalism as opposed to a temple for the worship of God.”

George Mason University School of Business’ Bernard Sharfman sees a different problem. He points out that successful companies like Wal-Mart have a board of directors to make decisions “in the best interests of the corporation.” With the suit, Trinity Church is seeking a way around the board of directors who, to this point, have made decisions which have made Wal-Mart the number one US retailer.

Follow AWR Hawkins on Twitter @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com.