After hearing from thousands of its members, Vancouver-based Mountain Equipment Co-op has agreed to drop products from brands owned by an American gun manufacturer.
“Demonstrating leadership and leveraging the power of community, are among MEC’s core values,” CEO David Labistour said in an open letter to MEC members. “With this in mind we have taken time to listen to our members’ views, consult internally and reach put to others in our industry. We are in the midst of a complex and highly charged debate with as many opinions as there are people expressing them.”
An online petition started last weekend called for MEC to immediately stop selling products made by Vista Outdoor. The Utah-based corporation owns Savage Arms, one of the leading producers of semi-automatic weapons in the U.S. Vista Outdoors owns a number of brads sold by MEC, including CamelBak, Bushnell, Bollé, Camp Chef and Jimmy Styks.
Labistour said that effective immediately MEC will suspend any further orders with those brands. The existing inventory will remain on store shelves until it’s sold.
“I hope that you will see that the decision we made today is balanced and considered and positions us to inspire a wider discussion throughout our industry and North America,” he wrote.
An Open Letter to MEC Members from CEO David Labistour - https://t.co/Y5Lb9GQHX3 pic.twitter.com/xRtCpQUhv8
— MEC (@mec) March 1, 2018
He said the debate has raised several questions — “What can a Canadian retail co-operative with more than five million members, a business that exists to get people active outdoors, do to effect positive change while continuing to ensure that we serve our members’ needs? At the same time, how do we act as a catalyst for this important debate while we maintain the integrity of our Co-op?”
The change.org petition gathered more than 50,000 signatures in less than a week.
“Citizen engagement matters, and is a powerful and effective tool for positive social change,” wrote Sarah Latha, the MEC member who started the petition.
In the wake of the Feb. 14 shooting at a high school in Parkland, Florida, several U.S. companies have severed ties with the National Rifle Association including Delta, United, Avis, Budget, Hertz, Allied Van Lines, Met Life and Enterprise. Seventeen people were killed and 14 more were injured when 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz walked into Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and, armed with an AR-15 style semi-automatic rifle, started shooting.
In the days following the shooting, students of the school started a push for greater gun controls in the United States and two nation-wide marches are planned for next month.
@JessicaEKerr
