Sarah Latha said boycotting a brand that manufactures guns similar to the one used in February’s school shooting in Florida was a no-brainer.
Speaking on CKNW’s Jon McComb Show, Latha said she started the petition that garnered more than 50,000 signatures after she realized she was buying water bottles for her children from a brand owned by a gun company.
“The discovery that the makers of the water bottles and the binoculars that I buy my children are connected to the manufacturers of the semi-automatic weapons used in the mass murder was incredibly disturbing.”
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But for Latha, the petition to MEC was only the beginning.
“Change is possible, and these companies and large retailers can be reached,” she said. “People who have seen the success in engaging consumers will take it upon themselves to communicate their discomfort.”
In a news release, MEC CEO David Labistour said that effective immediately, stock from Bollé, Bushnell, CamelBak, Camp Chef and Jimmy Styks products will be allowed to sell out on store shelves, and will not be re-ordered.
A letter circulated by sportswear company Running Room says it has also heard from its customers, and has also stopped its orders of CamelBak products due to their connection to Vista Outdoor.
Speaking to Global News, Running Room president John Stanton said February’s tragic shooting in Florida and consultion with customers led it to cut ties with CamelBak.
“We’re really not making a political statement,” He said. “We’re just saying, ‘Does it make sense to condone the sale of firearms ammunition in a running room?,’ and in
a way, by selling that product we are doing that.”
Stanton said his company will perform a full review of suppliers and vendors for any similar conflicts.
- With files from Beth Mariam