United States. Sports sign destroys firearms stock

The CEO of one of the largest sports retail chains in the United States has decided to reduce the stock of firearms put, and even plans to totally remove them from the sale.

The Dick's Sporting Goods brand has announced that it has destroyed a large portion of its firearms inventory, worth more than $ 5 million. Asked by the CBS television channel, on the occasion of the release of his book "It's how we play the game", CEO Edward Stack said he does not want to be associated with the killings that ravage the United States. "Our decision may not stop these massacres, but if it can save even one life, we will have done our job. "

Dick's Sporting Goods has announced that it has destroyed a large part of its firearms inventory. | DICK'S SPORTING GOODS

Son of the founder of the brand, present in the United States since 1948, Stack runs an empire of 722 stores in 47 states. As a hunter, gun-holder and second-round defender of the Constitution on the possession of these weapons, the CEO no longer supports the damage done across the country. "Every time I hear about shooting at a university or mall, I have a ball in my stomach. I wonder: is it my fault? Have I involuntarily participated in this? "

CEO Edward Stack said he no longer wants to be associated with the killings that ravage the United States. | DICK'S SPORTING GOODS

A questioning having found a dramatic answer last year. During the investigation of the killing of Parkland, Florida, on February 14, 2018, which had killed seventeen students at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, it appeared that the killer had bought a rifle in the one of the chain stores. "Although it appeared that this weapon was not used during the events, I thought that it could potentially kill other teenagers. That day, I told my staff: it's over. "

In the process, Edward Stack ordered that he no longer sell firearms to people under 21 and decided to destroy part of his stock, rather than sell it to another chain of stores where he could have fallen between bad hands.

"Moral duty"

Far from stopping there, the CEO even went to meet the children who had survived the Parkland massacre, to comfort them and apologize to them. Seven years earlier, at the Sandy Hook elementary school massacre, Stack had already taken a first step by removing all the automatic weapons from the sale.

"I am very much reproached for being opposed to the second amendment, for not believing in the Constitution of this country and for not being a true American! There is nothing more false. The only truth is that we no longer want to sell these assault weapons that can cause so much harm! "

From a business point of view, the choice of "Dick's Sporting Goods" is risky. According to the CEO, this decision should result in a loss of income of a quarter of a billion dollars. However, the brand does not intend to stop and has already removed all weapons from the shelves of more than a hundred of its stores. "This is a moral duty , " Stack concludes.

Two months earlier, Walmart also indicated that it would reduce firearm and ammunition sales and that it would ban access to its stores from customers with a weapon.

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