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Remember the powerful consumer led boycott of Smith&Wesson back in 2000? How we, the gun owning American Public, smacked down the Clinton/Spitzer scheme to sue gun companies into becoming willing allies of the gun control agenda?
We can do it again! Boycott Massachusetts! Boycott any ammunition manufacturer, wholesaler, or dealer who sells to any law enforcement agency of Massachusetts, any local or State level police agency of Massachusetts. Make the government of Massachusetts suffer for attacking 2nd Amendment rights.
Okay, that's the short thumbnail version. Now for the long version.
Over the years we have seen the power of the 'invisible hand', the power of the free market to throw a monkey wrench into the schemes of the Anti-Gun Cult. The spontaneous boycott of Smith&Wesson, which derailed the lawsuit settlement negotiations between Smith&Wesson and the city governments suing various gun companies in 2000. The panic buying of rifles in reaction to laws banning so-called "assault weapons", which had the net effect of multiplying those types of firearms actually in the hands of the public.
The Anti-Gun Cult has tried and suggested the use of various boycott schemes to advance their goal of a gun free America, with only pathetic or temporary results at best. In part that is due to their failure to understand the basic economics of the gun economy. Like when they suggested using the purchasing power of police agencies to coerce the gun companies into servility.
The simple fact is the Government portion of demand for gun products is a very small tail of the dog. We, the civil portion of demand for gun products make up the overwhelming largest fraction of the total market. If we use our consumer power wisely, we can enforce a more just society which respects gun-rights.
The question is what is wise use of that power? What is to be done? How do we turn the 'invisible hand' into a frightening fist with which to fight back?
We have seen spontaneous and knee-jerk reactions before, many of which are to be celebrated even if they had only token effect on our national politics: some gun companies relocating from anti-gun States to pro-gun States, a couple gun companies refusing sales to anti-gun law enforcement agencies, most gun companies contributing to the NRA-ILA. But the instance of the consumer led boycott of Smith&Wesson had a powerful result, and suggests how our power as consumers might be applied today.
I think several factors were important to the success of the Smith&Wesson boycott: focus, relevance, timeliness, obvious effects. Focus, the boycott was just on Smith&Wesson. Relevance, the boycott was about an important issue, the climax of the anti-gun lawsuit attack from city governments. Timeliness, the boycott was immediately launched relative to Smith&Wesson caving in to the anti-gunners. Obvious effects, effects of the boycott was noticed almost immediately as sales of S&W products dropped way off from normal and drove the company into financial crisis.
It is for these same reasons I suggest a consumer led boycott which targets Massachusetts. Even though there are many worthy targets of our ire, Massachusetts is the ideal place to start. And rather than stop sales of guns, like some have suggested in the past, lack of replacement ammunition will have a much quicker effect on law enforcement agencies rather than lack of replacement firearms.
to be continued...
We can do it again! Boycott Massachusetts! Boycott any ammunition manufacturer, wholesaler, or dealer who sells to any law enforcement agency of Massachusetts, any local or State level police agency of Massachusetts. Make the government of Massachusetts suffer for attacking 2nd Amendment rights.
Okay, that's the short thumbnail version. Now for the long version.
Over the years we have seen the power of the 'invisible hand', the power of the free market to throw a monkey wrench into the schemes of the Anti-Gun Cult. The spontaneous boycott of Smith&Wesson, which derailed the lawsuit settlement negotiations between Smith&Wesson and the city governments suing various gun companies in 2000. The panic buying of rifles in reaction to laws banning so-called "assault weapons", which had the net effect of multiplying those types of firearms actually in the hands of the public.
The Anti-Gun Cult has tried and suggested the use of various boycott schemes to advance their goal of a gun free America, with only pathetic or temporary results at best. In part that is due to their failure to understand the basic economics of the gun economy. Like when they suggested using the purchasing power of police agencies to coerce the gun companies into servility.
The simple fact is the Government portion of demand for gun products is a very small tail of the dog. We, the civil portion of demand for gun products make up the overwhelming largest fraction of the total market. If we use our consumer power wisely, we can enforce a more just society which respects gun-rights.
The question is what is wise use of that power? What is to be done? How do we turn the 'invisible hand' into a frightening fist with which to fight back?
We have seen spontaneous and knee-jerk reactions before, many of which are to be celebrated even if they had only token effect on our national politics: some gun companies relocating from anti-gun States to pro-gun States, a couple gun companies refusing sales to anti-gun law enforcement agencies, most gun companies contributing to the NRA-ILA. But the instance of the consumer led boycott of Smith&Wesson had a powerful result, and suggests how our power as consumers might be applied today.
I think several factors were important to the success of the Smith&Wesson boycott: focus, relevance, timeliness, obvious effects. Focus, the boycott was just on Smith&Wesson. Relevance, the boycott was about an important issue, the climax of the anti-gun lawsuit attack from city governments. Timeliness, the boycott was immediately launched relative to Smith&Wesson caving in to the anti-gunners. Obvious effects, effects of the boycott was noticed almost immediately as sales of S&W products dropped way off from normal and drove the company into financial crisis.
It is for these same reasons I suggest a consumer led boycott which targets Massachusetts. Even though there are many worthy targets of our ire, Massachusetts is the ideal place to start. And rather than stop sales of guns, like some have suggested in the past, lack of replacement ammunition will have a much quicker effect on law enforcement agencies rather than lack of replacement firearms.
to be continued...
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