We Need More To Push Back Like This Company Did Rather Than Give In Like So Many Have

Gun company that sells AR-15 has perfect response to Dick’s Sporting Good’s new firearm policy

Mar 3, 2018 5:40 pm

A South Carolina-based firearms company issued the perfect response to Dick Sporting Good's banning the sale of "assault-style weapons" in its stores. (Joe Raedle/Getty Image)

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Chris EnloeWEEKEND EDITOR

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A South Carolina-based firearm company issued the perfect response to Dick’s Sporting Good’s decision this week to alter its firearms sale policy.

Dick’s announced Wednesday it was ending the sale of “assault-style weapons” in all its stores nationwide. In addition, the company said it would end the sale of high-capacity magazines and stop selling long guns to anyone under 21.

What happened?

Palmetto State Armory, which is based in Columbia, South Carolina, issued a statement to WCBD-TV on Thursday condemning Dick’s for its decision, while injecting truth into the conversation about firearms and “assault rifles.”

What the firearms company really took issue with was Dick’s apparent firearms ignorance. The sporting good’s retain chain said it was banning the sale of “assault-style weapons.” In reality, the firearms the company plans to stop selling are AR-15 rifles and other similar firearms, which are not “assault weapons.”

AR-15 rifles and firearms like them are semi-automatic — meaning only one bullet is fired with each pull of the trigger — while actual assault rifles, which are used in the military, are fully-automatic, meaning it will continue to fire with just one depress of the trigger.

Still, Palmetto State said they support Dick’s right via capitalism to make the decision it did. In the end, the company hopes politicians and business leaders can come together in civil discussion to find a solution to America’s gun violence problem.

Read the full statement below:

Palmetto State Armory would like to go on record stating that we support the Second Amendment. While this may seem like an obvious statement, we as a company felt it necessary to make our opinion known to the general public. Palmetto State Armory also strongly supports the First Amendment which enables individuals to voice their opinions, even those in contrast with our own. We believe that a primary purpose of the Second Amendment is actually to protect the First Amendment.

In regards to the actions taken today by the CEO of Dick’s Sporting Goods to no longer sell the AR-15 platform, while we do not agree with this decision, we recognize the fact that capitalism gives him the right to make this call. PSA however, does have an issue when misinformation is spread in the very next sentence by referring to the platform as an “assault rifle.” AR stands for Armalite Rifle which pays homage to the company that originally created the platform. To blame the rifle or a high capacity magazine for the actions of an evil man is illogical and is only applied when referring to firearms. Senseless acts of violence are a terrible plague on society that we all recognize we need to try and prevent as a community, but to blame a tool such as a firearm is at very best missing the point of the problem. When a vehicle is used to commit an act of violence we as a society do not blame the car, we do not blame the speed, or the steering wheel, but rather the driver. It is our hopes that we can approach this negativity with humanity and both sides of the argument can come together and have a civil and intellectual conversation that continues to make this amazing county better. We are all in this together, and we all want the same thing. Safety, happiness, and the “American Dream.”