Dicks Sporting Goods (Field & Stream) to stop selling Assault-Style Rifles

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You really don't think that video games have anything at all to do with teens shooting shit? You cant be serious...

 

Where was all this grandstanding when a Muslim shot up a nightclub killing way more people, or a couple of other Muslims shot up San Bernardino?

 

You don’t think that all of the gratuitous gun violence in video games and tv/movies affects kids (really everyone)? How can you not see it?

 

Did you ever play army as a kid?

 

Sure I did, but I come from a different era when we were still taught that there were real consequences for our actions. These kids are not. They have very little reality to separate the games from, so the virtual and real become blurred just enough to give them justification for this type of thing (not to mention the prescription drug angle). It’s not a coincidence that these shootings are more common.

 

Not everyone's mature enough to handle a motor vehicle at 16 either, but that's pretty much the arbitrary age we have determined young people are deemed ready to begin getting their drivers licenses. It's the arbitrary line in the sand.

We drew the line in the sand for voting at 18.

Many states used to have the same age for alcohol, but it's been raised to 21 across the country

I'm 47...I see nothing wrong with setting the age to 21. I mean what the fuck was that kid in Florida doing with the collection that he had? How the fuck does an 18 year old afford all those guns? It's like giving babies broken glass to play with.

The people that took him in after his parents died required him to keep his firearms in a safe...the fucking idiots made him get the safe and thought he'd give them the only key.
I'd have bought the safe and made SURE he never got the combination OR the keys if I was so fucking intent on controlling his access to them. Not that he couldn't buy and hide more that they didn't know about after that. But, point being they were just stupid to begin with.

Now don't get me wrong here...I'm a gun owner. I really enjoy going shooting on the weekends with my handguns, or a sunny Saturday blasting skeet and sporting clays is just a great way to be outside, enjoy nature and a test of hand/eye coordination skills.

While I'm sure there was a bit of a PR spin to this, but I'd also bet maybe there's a possible side benefit to Dick's that by not selling firearms to people under 21 they may also keep themselves from being implicated as a plaintiff in any liability lawsuits a future victim's families could consider filing against the suppliers of AR's to someone like the asshole on Florida. The losses you all imply they will see in profits probably far outweighs the costs of a lawsuit in legal fees, possible payout and the negative PR to the Customer base that doesn't give a shit about their guns but does go there for Nike/Under Armor, and all the other camping and stick/ball sports stuff they do sell. It was noted in the article I read that Dick's is actually a brick and mortar chain that's expanding. Their future is bright....they want to keep it brighter.

And if you've ever looked at Dick's hunting/gun department...it's shitty anyway. If you want a quality firearm, that's NOT the place to buy. But cheap shotgun ammo can be had there for skeet/clays. That's about all I ever bought in that section.

Anyway, you all need to get over it. These kids, the ones that survived, put their foot down and they have a voice. They've started something..a movement. It's going to gain momentum and change will come about. They are all going to be of voting age soon, and they will vote in favor of that change.

 

I'd suggest that it's less about the video games and more about the videos they watch on the internet. Their whole lives are based on likes and followers. They all want their 15 minutes of being famous.

 

Quit pointing a finger at shit that has zero affect and as a parent starting looking in the mirror. You are responsible for teaching your kid what's real and what's a game.

You need to teach them right and wrong, you need to make sure they understand it's a game.

It's not the game that's making kids think this way, it's kids raising kids, and making kids feel like there not wanted and not loved.

 

All of it contributes to the problem.

 

Aren't those videogames rated M for mature? Seems somebody's parents might not be doing their job.

 

I did, and cowboys and indians, and astronaut, but the difference between then and now is, IMHO the graphic imagery. We didn't see bodies blow up in 3d. The pretend was limited to our imaginations, which was, in turn, limited by visual experience. The limits today are vastly different and I think it tends to desensitize kids to the repercussions of violent acts.

 

That would be a given. You might be doing yours. Their friend across the street or down the block? Maybe not.

 

Aint kidding there. When GTA San Andreas came out, I got my copy the 1st day. Guy in front of me at the checkout's 5-6yr old ALSO HAD A FUCKING COPY OF IT. Cashier told the guy it is a M rated game. Guy said his kid wanted it and he is gonna get it to that effect. Yep getting a 5-6 yr old a video game that's extremely violent is a good thing for the kid.

 

These kids are just kids, no matter what they went through. They are not experts on the subject of gun control because they were involved in a shooting.

The two causes for action you list are emotion and fear of being sued.
Neither is a good way to make decisions.
What about all the 19-year-olds who own weapons and have been responsible with them? Why do you feel it's okay to deprive them on a whim?
And if you're going to change the age to 21, you'd best change the Selective Service age to 21.
You can't possibly draft soldiers who aren't old enough to have a gun.
And while we're changing the Selective Service age to 21, it also needs to be changed to all citizens, not just male citizens.

 

Your ability to be a simpleton and asshole will never cease to amaze me. Don't you have rotting feet to attend to or something?

(That was emotions speaking. Maybe now you understand the difference).

Fear of being sued is the tip of the iceberg. There's a LOT of Corporate negative press that comes along with being involved in a major lawsuit. Companies work hard to build a
good name and positive public image. Negative press hurts the bottom line. Dicks answers to a Higher Power than that..they're a billion dollar company...they answer to their share holders. Who want absolutely NOTHING to do with something like that. I'll bet they make a LOT more money off parents coming in to buy their kids shoes for their sports and other gear than the occasional firearm that goes out the door. And they want to keep that revenue coming in.

I work for a publicly traded company. We're constantly emailed about being vigilant about not discussing or revealing anything that could be perceived by the SEC as Insider Trading information, quiet periods before annual financial announcements, and not doing anything to damage our company's name and public image.

Pizza Hut just got the NFL Pizza contract. Why? Because the dumbass CEO of Poppa Johns decided to publicly run his mouth about his opinion on the NFL players protests during the pregame national anthem. However he feels is how he feels. But, I bet he loved the NFL endorsed income and rubbing elbows with Peyton Manning more than he loved his opinion. But, he ran his mouth and now Pizza Hut will get what would have been his profits for the next 5 years. And here's a shock..in the last year Poppa Johns' Stock is trending down $80 to $57/share today....and Yum Industries (owner's of Pizza Hut) is trending up over the last 12 months. Funny how that happened. John resigned as CEO of his own company, too. Bet the stock holders had a say in that.

And fear of being sued is actually a great way to make decisions. That's why cars have seat belts and air bags, and pretty much every fucking thing made on the planet goes through quality assurance testing. Because if a product doesn't perform as the manufacturer claims, that's a liability that opens that company to litigation.

Dicks and WalMart are just getting ahead of the game by publicly stating that they're going above and beyond the letter of the Law to satisfy their sense of social conscience, going even further to say they hope the law is changed to meet their corporate standard. Ain't more Boy Scout than that.

Getting sued is why there are warning labels on cigarette packs. A class action suit finally won the notion that smoking caused lung cancer.

Exceptions can absolutely be made for military and veterans where weapons are concerned. Because I'm an HONORABLY discharged veteran with a copy of my DD214 to prove it even in the painfully Libtarded state of Maryland I was able to bypass the class and just be fingerprinted and pay the fees to get my Handgun Qualification License. Why? Because FIREARMS TRAINING is part of my background as a prior service member. Not to mention I took a Hunters Safety course at 14 in my home state of North Dakota.

I don't think I said they were experts in gun control. And I'm not sure how the hell you came to any conclusion to that effect. Remedial reading comprehension may be in order for you.

They're a united voice...they're like that butterfly in china that flaps it's wings and starts the beginnings of a typhoon. No other group that's been impacted by a mass shooting has had Town Halls televised with Elected Officials present. Not the club in Florida's survivors, not Aurora, Colorado, not even the survivors in Vegas. But these kids are going to not just go away in time.

Look at the changes Mothers Against Drunk Drivers brought about in DUI laws. These kids have the same potential to be that voice that finally gets heard and brings about a real solution to the root causes to these acts of stupidity.

Can you send me back the $10 I sent you a few years back to help you save your dog? If you can afford disposable cash to join the NRA on an emotional lark,
you didn't need my help to pay your dog's vet bills.

 

I agree that kids are way different now than when I was younger and are much more influenced by what they see others doing around them. I would go so far as to say kids are fucking stupid these days. Watch an episode of Tosh or go through YouTube and see how many jackasses are doing idiotic things hurting themselves with either no realization of the consequences or no care of them for the sake of popularity. It’s scary how these kids are such blind followers and I think violent games and the sense of online anonymity are a factor in fueling dumb decisions.

 

I would say it`s more shaped by your culture in your family. If that`s right, video`s and movies have no effect. IMO.