Flowing from the Twitter work of my friend Aaron Naparstek, anti-gun activists are boycotting some of bicycling’s popular brands — Giro, Bell, Camelbak, Copilot, and Blackburn — because they are owned by the same parent company — Vista Outdoor — as assault weapon brands — such as Savage Arms.
Bicycling friends: Did you know that @Giro, Bell, @CamelBak, Copilot and a few other bike gear brands that you may enjoy are owned by @VistaOutdoorInc, America's largest manufacturer of ammunition? https://t.co/BGXEjEvgvo
— Aaron Naparstek (@Naparstek) February 21, 2018
This has led at least two large outdoor equipment retailers — Canada’s Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC) and Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI), as well as many smaller retailers to end their relationships with the Vista Outdoor bike brands.
I went shopping for new helmet, shoes, and locks today at Landry’s on Needham St. and I’m happy to report that Landry’s sells none of the Vista Outdoor brands. I’ll follow up with other Newton local bike shops this week.
Well done.
Thanks Sean. That’s good to know.
An economic boycott seems the most promising way to change our gun culture. Years ago, I joined Handgun Control, which was formed in 1976 after the Zebra killings in San Francisco (15 known murdered). There was a brief moment of hope during Sarah Brady’s leadership of HC when the assault weapon ban was passed (exempting Colt!) in 1986. But even after Carolyn McCarthy came to Congress in 1997 as a gun control advocate (her husband killed and son injured in the Long Island railway shooting (6 dead, 19 wounded) nothing has happened.
Horrific mass murder by guns brings changes improving safety in other countries – Norway just announced it’s banning semiautomatic guns (OK 10 years after their mass shooting). But in America we seem to go backwards. I don’t know who our representative government is representing when the overwhelming majority of Americans want improved background checks, gun shows stopped, etc.
I grew up in Wisconsin with hunting rifles everywhere. Most of my family hunts, my kids have shot rifles. I have nothing against ‘well regulated’ guns.
Well done Sean. It’s going to take all hands on deck to dent the gun manufacturers and assault weapons lobbyists. They share a lot of the responsibility for the political calamity unfolding in Washington.
Btw: Is Aaron related to David Naparstek who served as Newton’s Health Commissioner for several decades. I worked with David on several programs and issues when I was on a detail to Mass DEP during the late 80’s and early 90’s. A first class public servant and magnificent human being.
The tweet says to boycott because they’re “America’s largest manufacturer of ammunition.” This is a call for an all out ban on firearms and not just “assault rifles”–very misleading and people are falling for it.
@Lucia, you were fooled!
Vista earns far more revenue from firearms and accessories,including ammunition, than from its bicycle products. This is like telling WholeFoods you’re not going to buy their paper towels as long as they continue to sell food.
David,
It’s substantially more nuanced. Gun and ammo manufacturing is not going to go away. What a boycott like this hopes to do is isolate gun and ammo manufacturers so that firearms are not as pervasive and commercial interests in guns are not quite so broad. If firearms are made more of a niche product, it should reduce the distortion of the political process.
No one has been fooled. Boycotting products from companies that sell ammunition is part of the larger call to ban semi-automatic weapons. Boycotting brands sold on line or in retail stores has received attention in the past. Large corporations have pulled ads and agreements with the NRA. In Georgia a bill was passed to resend tax brakes from Delta because of its discontinuing any NRA association. Delta just said that they’ll just move to another hub if they do.
This economic push in support of gun regulations has attracted much attention from the NRA. It’s just released a video advertisement on NRATV (didn’t know that was a thing)that’s demonizes anyone who supports any regulations and says “your time is running out” addressing late night talk show hosts, Mika and Joe from Morning Joe and the mainstream media particularly CNN.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/nra-video-threatens-journalists-gun-laws-us-florida-shooting-twitter-dana-loesch-a8240341.html
But you can’t deny that Aaron Naparstek would like to repeal the second amendment, confiscate all firearms from civilians. That’s who you’re retweeting and supporting while claiming people aren’t going to confiscate all firearms from civilians. It’s quite hypocritical and what’s called a “dog whistle” when you carefully craft wording to hide your true intentions to deprive people of their civil liberties.
It also sounds like you have a conspiracy theory brewing: bike helmets profits redirected to the NRA!
I can’t speak for Aaron, but I don’t think we need a constitutional right to bear arms. Regardless, there is plenty that can be done to reduce the availability of guns and ammo without an impact on civil liberties or the Second Amendment.
Your right to bear arms does not translate into a right to get any kind of gun at any kind of store.
@Sean, so when you visit each bike shop be sure you inform them you want to ban all guns, not just some. Otherwise you’re lying by omission. It’s like if I ask to borrow your car to drive to Natick and after you agree I drive it to Natick then keep going until I reach New York City–fooled you!
@David, Aaron was pretty specific in how he laid out the argument. He never said that helmet sales went to the NRA. He talked about taking a stand and using your dollars to make a point. He gave information to help consumers make that point.
Subsequent coverage has pointed out the uneasy truce that exists between traditionally left-leaning environmentalists, who tend to bike, recycle, support green cases, etc., and the more outdoor-focused hunting crowd that tends to lean more to the right and support gun rights.
People could choose to go ahead with Vista products, that’s their right (even Aaron admits that he loves his Giro helmet and it’s the only one that fits him right) but it’s up to consumers to vote with their wallets. This is a common tactic now and has been since the start of the Trump presidency. Whereas in the past, companies were reluctant to have any political position, now consumers almost expect them to have one as part of their brand identity. Vista was playing a more traditional role in trying to balance both sides of the political spectrum. Aaron provided the information so people can decide if they’re OK with that. Many are not.
Sean – thanks. As you know I’m an avid biker and I was wondering if Landry’s (where I go) sold any of this stuff. Glad they don’t. Thanks for getting the word out.