Dick’s Keeps Digging

Dick’s Keeps Digging

NRA-ILA

Friday, May 4, 2018

https://www.nraila.org/articles/20180504/dick-s-keeps-digging

The first law of holes, sometimes attributed to cowboy philosopher Will Rogers, suggests, “If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging.” In other words, don’t make a bad decision worse by expanding it, with the hope that you will eventually extricate yourself. The hole will just get deeper.  Somebody may want to mention this to Dick’s Sporting Goods.

After the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School tragedy, the retailer caved in to pressure from the gun-ban community and began to enact a number of anti-gun policies at both Dick’s Sporting Goods and Field & Stream stores. The most egregious of these new policies was the refusal to recognize the Second Amendment rights of adults aged 18-20 by refusing to sell them firearms.

Dick’s then doubled down by announcing it would not just remove certain types of semi-automatic rifles from its stores, but would actually destroy its entire stock of these commonly-owned firearms, along with their accessories.  Yes, you read that right.  Dick’s will destroy firearms.  

But if anyone who supports our Right to Keep and Bear Arms was still confused about Dick’s position on our firearms freedom, a recent article at theFederalist.com should remove all doubt.

The Federalist reports that Dick’s Sporting Goods has hired three new federal lobbyists to promote gun control in Congress.  Evidently, Dick’s has cut ties with a lobbying firm it had used for a number of years to protect its business interests on issues like tax reform, cybersecurity, and patent litigation reform.  New lobbyist registration documents state the new lobbyists were hired for “[l]obbying related to gun control.”

Considering this development, perhaps encouraging Dick’s to stop digging is pointless. It’s entirely possible that the chain realizes it has irrevocably damaged its image among the pro-freedom community, especially with those who take part in outdoor activities.  That is a reasonable assumption, given this latest development.  If this is the case, as it appears to be, Dick’s new lobbying venture is likely meant to fully embrace anti-gun advocacy at all levels and through whatever means necessary.

So as Dick’s continues to develop its anti-gun bona fides by fully embracing a gun control agenda, we note that the retailer continues to stock small shovels and trenching tools in most of its locations.  We can’t verify whether they outsource the heavier implements needed for the major excavation at corporate headquarters in Pennsylvania.