Dick’s Seals Alienation from Gun Owners, Hires Gun Control Lobbyists

What a load. It’s time to humble them some more. (Dick’s Sporting Goods/Facebook)

U.S.A. – -(Ammoland.com)- “Dick’s Sporting Goods, which announced in February it would no longer sell rifles to anyone under the age of 21, hired three Beltway lobbyists to lobby Congress for gun control,” The Federalist reported Wednesday. “The lobbying records show Dick’s hired two Democrats and one Republican from Glover Park Group, a DC-based government affairs firm, for ‘[l]obbying related to gun control.’”

“We’re staunch supporters of the 2nd Amendment. I’m a gun owner myself,” Dick’s CEO Edward Stack preposterously claimed shortly after Parkland. That’s when the company announced it would discontinue selling what citizen disarmament apparatchiks strategically smear as “assault-style weapons” at its Field & Stream locations. Dick’s had already thrown semiautomatic rifles with standard capacity magazines under the bus after Sandy Hook at their main locations.

To paraphrase Bill Clinton when he was lying, it depends upon what the meaning of the word “staunch” is.  If Stack were actually a supporter instead of a weasel-wording phony, he would realize – as even the Miller court did – that “the Second Amendment guarantees the right to keep and bear … ordinary military equipment … that … could contribute to the common defense.”

The thing that most reports I’ve seen on Dick’s have neglected to mention – and the thing that puts the lobbyist hire in context – is that the February “sell-out encompassed much more than just a “business decision.”  In their “media statement,” the company irrevocably aligned itself with the citizen disarmament lobby:

“At the same time, we implore our elected officials to enact common sense gun reform and pass the following regulations:

  • Ban assault-style firearms
  • Raise the minimum age to purchase firearms or ammunition to 21
  • Ban high capacity magazines and bump stocks
  • Require universal background checks that include relevant mental health information and previous interactions with the law
  • Ensure a complete universal database of those banned from buying firearms
  • Close the private sale and gun show loophole that waives the necessity of background checks”

They have chosen to become the full-blown enemy. If you know any gun owners who still shop there, do what you can to get them to stop. If they still do, they’re basically saying they care more about their business choices than your rights.

As do gun-makers who would rather have Dick’s business than yours.

Any manufacturer who continues to supply Dick’s with anything firearms-related is choosing to give them aid and comfort. We’ve seen the positive reception for companies denying sales and services to gun-grabbers. There’s no reason why others couldn’t enjoy the same kind of customer loyalty by telling Dick’s to go … uh … take their business elsewhere.

And there’s no reason why those committed to defending the right to keep and bear arms shouldn’t expect it of them.

UPDATE:

Springfield Armory has taken the lead, terminating their relationship with Dick’s and deserves our acknowledgment and thanks.


About David Codrea:David Codrea

David Codrea is the winner of multiple journalist awards for investigating/defending the RKBA and a long-time gun owner rights advocate who defiantly challenges the folly of citizen disarmament.

In addition to being a field editor/columnist at GUNS Magazine and associate editor for Oath Keepers, he blogs at “The War on Guns: Notes from the Resistance,” and posts on Twitter: @dcodrea and Facebook.

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Sandra

The article has a beneficiary content, which has helped me a lot in understanding. It is a very informative blog which everyone should read to know Dick’s Seals Alienation from Gun Owners, Hires Gun Control Lobbyists.

Kent San

Dick Dick’s because they Dicked You

Colter

I’m done with DICKS ,I actually spent alot of money money there, strictly small mom and pop shops for me

Trumped

Mossberg has also joined in. That’s two major companies! Let’s keep up the pressure on the rest.

Wild Bill

@Trumped, I agree we need to flex our financial strength and make an example of Dicks and Citibank or the libtard big business elitists will use their financial strength against us.

Sick up and Fed

I am a golfer, cyclist, runner and kayaker as well as a sports shooter. I will never set foot in a Dicks or order anything from them on line. I have many items I have purchased from them in the past which I wish I could return. Dicks, you have really stepped in it.

Brick

In not as many words as others, can you say age dicrimination suit! Just as gun free zones invite killers, this notification invites procecutio!

Wild Bill

Rumor is that Springfield armory is severing ties with Dicks. Or is it the Dicks?

eaglesnester

It will be interesting to see how long Dicks last in the market place with their anti 2nd amendment stance.due to lack of
business. If Dicks does fold it will be a powerful testament to the spirit of American patriotism and how the majority of citizens feel about the 2nd. I can hardly wait for the results, can U say chapter 11 bankruptcy boys and girls?

Muckraker

Dick’s giving up selling and destroying “scary looking guns” is like Starbucks giving up selling coffee and pouring their inventory down the toilet, because coffee causes cancer in rats. Can’t fix stupid.

Sherm

Dicky’s likely cut their clientele by a substantial margin with their decision to destroy certain firearms and ban anyone under 21 from purchase, but they certainly won’t hurt the firearms manufacturers. I don’t know how many firearms they plan on destroying, but they were paid for so the manufacturer will gain from the sale, make another firearm to replace them and sell them to a real sporting store where the customer who wants to purchase will buy. I’m guessing Dicky will have to sell a whole lot of overpriced golf balls and tennis shoes to liberal socialists to stay in… Read more »

DanT

As so many have said before me, Dick’s has the right to sell what they want to. They can impose whatever age restrictions they want on who buys their products. Those are their rights as merchants in our free enterprise capitalist society, whether I/we like it or not. I vehemently disagree with their advocacy of and lobbying for banning the sale of all “Assault Style Weapons” and High Capacity Magazines, imposing Universal Background Checks, closing the nonexistent Gun Show Loophole” and banning the under 21 year old citizens from purchasing firearms. A centralized registry of those who are prohibited from… Read more »

Wild Bill

@Dan T, What makes you think that mere vendors can do that? There is no “rights as merchants”. All of American commerce is closely regulated, inspected, and controlled by various governments’ statutes, agencies’ rules and judicial decisions. The mere notion that a vendor, like dicks, could increase statutory and regulatory requirements on the sale of any given product is … shocking… at best.
But you are quite correct when you write, ” Law abiding citizens should not be subjected to these types of [privately added, ed] onerous restrictions.”

DeeKay

Tell that to the cake bakers in Oregon.

WarEagle82

I called and emailed Dick’s in February and told them I would never shop there again.
I haven’t set foot in one of their stores since.
Let’s see how many idiotic SJWs they can con into buying $45 exercise shirts to keep the stores open.

DeeKay

I’ve shopped at Dick’s now and again for many years. Not anymore. A Dick’s and Cabelas are equidistant from my house so problem solved. I’m guessing Dick’s will soon be out of the real man sports business.

Dr Michael Velsmid

Happy to hear the CEO write that so many lefties are stopping by Dick’s with their well wishes and donuts, while their former customers are bringing their cash elsewhere.
Dick’s can sell just so many crock pots a yoga stretchies as they take their business down the tubes. Now that the Boy Scouts are open to girls, perhaps they can sell Outdoor Knitting sets. Although they will have to replace those scary looking long knitting needles.

Ed

Cabela’s now owned by Bass pro shops – -same anti-gun policies.

Bill in IL

Just checked Bass Pro website, plenty of guns for sale, plenty of ARs too. What are you talking about?

"SARGE"

I’ve recently discontinued my purchases from”dicks”,they inquired why,i then reminded them of their recent actions against my constitutional rights, proceeded to purchase “A NEW EDC.FROM SPRINGFIELD. GOD BLESS SPRINGFIELD!!!

Salty

Dicks just slapped every military person in the face who fought and died so they can make a huge profit! This Vietnam vet will never darken their door again! Hate to wish bad on people but I hope they go belly up!

Trumped

Good for Springfield armory. Let’s bombard the rest of the big gun companies on social media and ask them to follow that lead. Glock, Beretta, hk, ruger, colt, Smith and wesson, etc.

Who is with me?

Mike

Boycott Dicks. They will go out of business.

Jim Nichols

I don’t think we should say nasty or course things about Dick’s. I am a Life member of the NRA and I think we should respect their opinion since we are ALL entitled to our opinions. That’s what it means to me to be an American. I don’t like what they have done, and I won’t shop there anymore, but that’s how Capitalism works. We all make mistakes and I suspect that they will soon enough realize the mistake they made by alienating millions of customers. I AM surprised that their top management made a decision that could impact ALL… Read more »

JohnnyAuto

Your second paragraph accurately illustrated what happens when anti-gun zealots get their way, so why on Earth would I “wish them well” when Dick’s has aligned themselves with the very forces who would do those things to us, if they ever got their way in disarming us???

Mike

I used to buy ammo, targets, etc and even bought a gun. No more. I won’t go in the store even for a tee shirt.

CEA

Gun control does work, ask Hitler, Stalin, and Mao

Muckraker

You don’t have to ask Hitler. Just ask the Lefty mayor of Chicago if gun control works. No guns allowed except for his bodyguards.

Tom

I doubt my comment will be posted because it does not fit the agenda herein. Thousands of our finest have died to protect our Constitutional rights including the freedom of choice. Yet when someone makes a choice that we do not agree with we are willing to infringe upon those rights and do everything in their power to shut them down. Just as any of us has the right to own a firearm, they too have the right not to sell them.

Bill

I agree. I also have the right to avoid Dick’s Sporting Goids forever.

jack burton

“Just as any of us has the right to own a firearm, they too have the right not to sell them.”

And both we and any other company has the right not to do business with them. Your turn.

Everett Boone

There is no such thing as a Constitutional Right. Our right come from a higher authority, God. The are Constitutionaly protected rights.

Ansel Hazen

Yes D!cks has every right to sell or not to sell whatever product they choose, but do NOT equate any call for boycotting their businesses with “infringement”. Calling for others to cease shopping there is very different from demanding they restock MSR’s etc.

Fredd

When we or Dick’s sporting take a stand on something that is our right. At the same time, there are consequences for our decisions. I can disagree with them and they can disagree with me. They can say they don’t want to sell something and that the government should outlaw things. At the same time, I can say I won’t buy from them and ask my friends not to buy from them. It is freedom of speech for both of us.

Nancy

Dick’s has made the choice to promote the infringement of our 2nd Amendment. In other words, they do not fully support our country’s founding documents. They have a right to say whatever they want, and run there business however they want. However, words and actions have consequences. When an organization or company decides to appease liberals, leftists, Marxists, gun-grabbers, anti-Americans, etc. they will pay a price. That price will be the alienating at least half of their potential customer base. They are not just a sporting goods store any more. They are an openly politically liberal anti-2nd Amendment sporting goods… Read more »

Alan D.

I didn’t see anyone on this page advocate harm to dicks employees or Managment nor advocate destruction of their property. Which is the opposite of the left who encourage lawsuits and destruction to the point of posting pictures of the President decappitated painted on school buildings.
There is little if any similarity’s between the thought processes between the right and left on this issue

David

Yes, and when they stab all law abiding gun owners in the back, we have the right to boycott them!! Even if it puts them out of business! It is their choicel!

Joe

Dick’s Sporting Goods are Constitution trashing freedom haters. I’ll never buy any thing from Dick’s again. Dick’s can KMA!

SK

The Dick’s in my area have always been very overpriced. I don’t think I ever bought anything there anyway. But after Sandy Hook I refused to ever go in there again.

Rebel Yankee

DICKS an appropriately named retailer. May your whole freaking corporate family starve! LOL

Tim stocklin

I am now strictly supporting mom and pop gunstores, who have balls and stand up for american values!

Nottinghill

The Dick’s in my area has had poor CS and poor gun and ammo selection for atmost two decades. I haven’t shop there in since 2004 decided never missed going back.

Dave Brown

Well Folks non of US speak for all gun owners. I have been doing this Gunner stuff for 54 years now, and I am hopping for another 24 years, yep age will be 90 and still shooting. Get Fun, but read below as I have always had A Free Mind, and I have always been Party Blind, yet I have voted for 48 years or so. OK here we are complaining about the complainers which is just the same old same old. Me, Gunner for 54 years, NRA brought me in at age 12, and I am still going strong.… Read more »

Clark Kent

With friends like you who need enemies?

Rebel Yankee

FIFTY FOUR YEARS, and you aint learned a damn thing yet! FREAKING AMAZING! Gun control leading to confiscation comes one legal precedent at a time. Give them an inch they take the mile in the long run. SHAME on YOU. When you get your NRA publication, what do you read, page 10 STOP????!

Whit

Bullshit, so you propose what, that teachers have nothing? You expect criminals or sociopaths to care about mag size limits? Idiocy. Colombine and VA Tech killers used 10round mags and still killed plenty. It’s security theater and it’s bullshit. BTW, I’ll be happy to meet you with my 92FS vs your AK any day anywhere. While you make noise I’ll put two in your brain housing group and end the problem quick. Lots of examples in the real world where someone with a pistol defeated someone with a rifle. Not ideal but it’s been done. Vote anyway you want, I’m… Read more »

AJG

You’re an idiot who doesn’t understand the issue.

Roy D.

I’ll take that challenge. Shouldn’t take much to best a feeble minded person like you. Just for the record, I got my first handgun 49 and a half years ago. So I have been playing the game for a while myself. People like you are why the “pro-gun” side is what it is: divided. Go sell crazy somewhere else.

Sick up and Fed

Wow how daft you are. I have taken many training sessions on clearing a building of groups with ARs and AKs using a handgun. We used high powered air soft guns modeled after the real thing in structures with plastics walls so the pellets would penetrate like rounds from real guns. I’ve taken out every rifle man in the building without so much as a grazing hit. Trust me. You know when you are hit with one of the high powered training gun pellets. They leave bloody welts. You may want to rethink your challenge.

Janek

This is nothing new, corporations have been trying to ‘run/ruin’ America as Founded for a long time.

Douglas Kuykendall

We the people can do just so much.Stop shopping at the stores.Write to all these other companies besides guns that do business with these morons.That need to stop supporting them.Anything that has to do with outdoors. They are betting dumb people will still support them,because what they are buying has nothing to do with guns.That is where they are wrong.

Terry Swinney

Since they do not like Guns or our right to the 2nd Amendment, they should remove all shooting sports items – Ammo, Cleaning Gear, All Guns (not just AR Style) and anything else to do with the Shooting Sports. Of course I do not use any of their other items anyway and besides there are so many other places that have more knowledge about firearms that Dick’s is insignificant. I am Glad that Springfield Armory stepped up and I hope others do the same. I have cancelled my Dick’s Rewards and Credit Card account and will not step in one… Read more »

CharlieH

Mr. DickHead (oops!)… I agree with your decision. You should cater to the snowflake, wussy, members of our society who play badminton and beachball. It appears that you have trouble with the understanding of words, like infringement, rights, and Constitution. Socialism and control are your “bag” Mr. DickHead (oops again!)

Laddyboy

Hay Dick’s:
This was one of your USED TO BE satisfied customers.
You have the right to sell what you want and not sell what you do not want.
There IS no half-way, sitting on the fence, way of doing business.
You are now BOYCOTTED by myself, my family and friends.
Hope you have a hard time explaining your HATRED of LEGAL LAW ABIDING American CITIZENS.
America is a CONSTITUTIONAL REPUBLIC, NOT a ‘democracy’.
Americans are CITIZENS – – – – NOT “subjects” who can be TOLD what is good for each and every person under the ELITES’ regime.

Macofjack

Their name says all I need to know about them!

GDubb

“Strong supporters of the Second Amendment” do not stop the sale of firearms due to weakness. Caving in to socialist pressure is cowardice and shows their true colors vividly. Laughable.

Gene

What part of shall not infringe do you not understand..They can make the age to purchase a gun anything they want.They can tell the criminal with the gun pointed at them they are to young to have the gun.Maybe they will say i’m sorry and put it down.Another life saved.When will people realize they want to totally disarm america so the elite can be in control with a switch.But they will have the only guns.We will have to defend ourselves with rocks like in other countries.You can’t fix brain dead people..

JS

Wow, talk about a slap in the face of Americans. Its one thing for them to decide what they will carry, its another thing to start open warfare by telling us law abiding citizens our opinions on 2A do not matter and they will now lead the charge on common sense RESTRICTIONS. In so many of these cases, the local communities, schools and law enforcement failed the kids, not legal, law abiding firearm owners…..

I certainly wont go there again and I like the idea of filling up a cart and then leaving it….

Jacob Maczuga

What aptly named company. May they rest in peace.

joe martin

Appropriate name, yes, but may they rot in Hell!

Mark John Walkker

Well ponder this for a moment. I received an email yesterday from Springfield Armory. Thay are now taking the lead and has Fired Dicks. A 180 degree turn where the Gun Manufacture says” to hell with the Anti-2nd Retailers:. At last there is a Manufacture that has grown a set of Balls. Go Springfield Armory! Welove this and support the Springfield action. Besides, Dicks is the most expensive and overpriced Retailer on Earth. Nothing lost here. This action only strengthens my resolve to support Springfield Armory. Maybe Ruger and other Firearm Manufactures will follow suit and and Fire Dicks as… Read more »

Matt
Missouri Born

These guys need to get out of the firearms selling business and stick with selling soccer balls.

Roy D.

How much would it cost Dick’s if someone were to go into their store and fill a cart with scores of different items and after filling the cart just left it somewhere in the store. Rinse and repeat another day. Just a thought.

TrueBornSonofLiberty

Any manufacturer who continues to supply Dick’s with anything firearms-related is choosing to give them aid and comfort”. Actually, any manufacturers still doing business with Dick’s is funding their own demise. These anti’s, beyond their disarmament policies, are aligned with the democrat party. Ironically, Springfield Armory, who recently shot themselves in the foot in Illinois, were the first to come out publicly to say they will no longer do business with Dick’s or their subsidiaries. I have been saying this for weeks now. All firearms, ammo and accessories manufacturers, including hunting gear, MUST immediately and publicly cease doing business with… Read more »

Gary Fowler

I’l never enter another DICK’S store.

Green Mtn. Boy

I haven’t since they pulled a similar stunt back in 2012,post Newtown,Eff em !

Rock

Huge boost to the small town FFL dealers… Stack chose to push down on the flush handle, now his DICKS going down the drain. Maybe his YETI cooler will act as a flotation device.

Clark Kent

I believe most of the YETI coolers have bullet holes in them by now.

C. McLennnan

I like the phrase Mr. Stack uses in lis writing “common sense reform with the intent of finding a solution” with regard to the Second Amendment which is a Constituional Right. So maybe he and others should impose some common sense reform with the intent to finding a solution with regard to the Right to Free Speech and shut THE F**** UP. What part of shall not be infringed needs further explanation?

John Siemens

The second amendment IS the solution. That is why it was written into the constitution. Without the 2nd amendment, the constitution is not worth the paper it is written on.

Gene

The second amendment is not the problem,it is the solution.

DrJon

It is a free country. Dick’s can refuse to handle anything they decide they do not want.

And, since I live in a free country, I can choose to go to my local gun shop and purchase anything that they have on their shelves, that they desire to sell. I also have the freedom to not purchase from Dick’s, if I disagree strongly with their political, or for that matter, any other public position they take.

Dick’s has, however, slapped the hands of those who were their most loyal customers. I wonder if they can afford to do that.

Whit

I’ve gone to the local Dick’s and handed in my rewards card and told the manager “never shopping here ever again.”

Herb T

Depends on who defines “common sense.” Common sense = elimination of gun free zones including schools, government offices. CS = mandatory teacher training and proficiency tests of first aid for trauma victims including knife and firearm attacks; mandatory first aid supplies in every school room; optional training and authorization to carry concealed on school property by school staff; mandatory active shooter drills twice a year in all schools to test their emergency plans; educated training that eliminates turning off the lights and hiding in plain sight in a corner of the classroom. Too much to ask from liberals willing to… Read more »

John Causey

I had never thought of that before if gun manufactures did not deal to these stores who were against the second amendment they would be able to pressure ammunition and other arms sporting company’s to stop sealing all kinds of sporting goods from clothes to traps to game calls!!!!!

Skip J.

I would hope that any firearm manufacturer would refuse to supply Dick’s with any products and that any company that truly supports the second amendment would also refuse to feed their business.
I wonder, is Dick’s going to give away all the profits it made from the “scary guns” they sold?
Their a bunch of hypocrites as are so many other businesses that have turned their backs on the thousands of NRA members and the second amendment.

Arch

Need to get the wholesale distributors to stop supplying them, too

mike

The name suits them.My wife and I have a Dick’s credit card that we will be cutting up. And will also cancel our account

Dumbfounded

Dick’s might as well remove their hunting and fishing departments from their stores.

Dr. Strangelove

Maybe these Dicks think that they support the second amendment, but they have absolutely no idea what it means.

retiredig@peoplescom.net

@Roy D, I like it! We, too, can double down. We will see if dicks can stay in business on the patronage of soccer moms and hackeysack players.

rich

SO Long Dicks! Will NEVER SHOP IN YOUR STORE AGAIN….