The National Shooting Sports Foundation is the trade group for the firearm industry. It exists to help protect the industry, which is why it was odd that anti-gun Dick’s Sporting Goods was a member. Sure, it sells guns, but it’s also massively anti-gun, even going so far as to hire lobbyists to push for gun control.

Well, that conflict no longer exists. However, it wasn’t Dick’s that made that call.

The National Shooting Sports Foundation® (NSSF®), the trade association for the firearms, ammunition, hunting and shooting sports industries, Board of Governors today unanimously voted to expel Dick’s Sporting Goods from membership for conduct detrimental to the best interests of the Foundation. Dick’s Sporting Goods recently hired a Washington D.C.-based government affairs firm, for “[l]obbying related to gun control.” Dick’s Sporting Goods CEO Edward W. Stack announced earlier this year the retail chain would end sales of modern sporting rifles, voluntarily raise the age to 21 to purchase firearms in their stores and called for more restrictive legislation. Dick’s later announced they would destroy the remaining modern sporting rifle inventory. NSSF responded that business decisions should be individually made, but was nonetheless disappointed and the decision does not reflect the reality of the vast majority of law-abiding gun owners.

This move makes perfect sense. Dick’s is actively trying to undermine the NSSF’s efforts to protect people’s Second Amendment rights. As a result, it doesn’t get to have a seat at the table while doing it.

Dick’s hasn’t released a formal statement, nor has it apparently responded to requests for comment from the media.

In other words, it’s going to pretend this is nothing. Honestly, that’s probably the best course of action. The last thing Dick’s needs is to prolong the news that a firearm retailer was kicked out of the firearm industry trade group because it’s really controlled by a bunch of anti-gun prigs. It probably hopes people will forget its anti-gun shenanigans soon and come back to the store.

The NSSF’s move, however, puts the company back in the firearm community limelight. Once again, consumers are being reminded that Dick’s doesn’t value its customers’ right to keep and bear arms.

In time, some people probably will forget. Or maybe the fire of anger will dampen and they’ll think, “Well, Dick’s has a hell of a deal on a firearm I really want, and that was a while ago. I’m sure it’s different now.” Time heals all wounds, as they say, but it also masks over reality, if we let it.

However, Springfield Armory made a move that, if followed by the rest of the gun industry, will make it so that’s not a possibility.

Springfield Armory® Severs Ties with Dick’s Sporting GoodsSpringfield Armory announces its decision in response to… Posted by Springfield Armory on Thursday, May 3, 2018

If enough other companies stand up and refuse to do business with Dick’s, then people simply can’t forget. They can’t ignore the reality that this one company opposes the Second Amendment so vehemently that it’s cutting into its own profits just to finance lobbyists who will push for anti-gun legislation.

And, in a way, they’ll be doing Dick’s a favor. They’ll be removing the possibility of the company continuing to look like profound hypocrites for selling guns while working against your right to keep and bear arms.