Not sure what to make of this.
Gander Outdoors, the last local big box store in the Fredericksburg, VA area that sells guns (and hunting and fishing gear), as of Friday, 9/10 no longer sells guns, and hunting, and fishing gear. They’re going to sell, from now on, only RV gear, camping gear, and kayaking/boating gear. (So – I’m still a customer.
)
Our local Dick’s ALSO doesn’t sell guns anymore. Or hunting gear. Or fishing gear. A few Wal-Mart stores in the area sell some very basic, low-end hunting and fishing supplies, and low-end firearms. But nothing anyone who is serious about their sport would entertain. So now, a serious fisherman or hunter in the Fredericksburg, VA area has to drive the 50 minutes-to-an-hour drive to either Cabela’s, Bass Pro, or Green Top to find big-box selection for firearms, hunting gear and fishing tackle. What the actual..(you know)..? The few small LGS's in the area will of course, improve their gun sales volume. But as far as fishing tackle and hunting gear, the local hunter sportsman has no where locally to turn.
To me, this seems like the ‘metrosexualizing’ of the Piedmont. Re-making Fredericksburg in the image of Northern Virginia. (
) Stores that formerly were central suppliers of goods for these manly pursuits in this area are now positioning themselves as suppliers of goods for people who “love the outdoors – but without the violence.” No one has publicly admitted that policy yet, but the trend is clear. Now, I can almost understand this trend when it comes to hunting – many of the millennials and gen-X-ers that head up and staff the corporate retailers are freaked out by the killing of Bambi’s dad. It’s not your fault – you watched Disney movies and believed that shit to be reality. I pity your gullibility, but don’t blame you.
BUT FISHING!?!?!? Fishing!?!?!? Really? What more traditional, wholesome, harmless (except to the fish) outdoor activity is there for fathers/mothers to pass on to and bond with their sons/daughters than fishing? What, is it not profitable!? BULL-_____!! Judging by the crowds I’ve seen in these stores and their checkout lines it HAS to be profitable. So, what then? Is it that businesses are shying away from anything that “might offend”?(Good luck with that) If so, that’s a very sad state of affairs for our culture. I grew up in an era(not so long ago, BTW) where many fathers(and some mothers) taught their children things like gun safety, marksmanship, outdoorsmanship, fishing, hunting, camping, etc. We learned to respect and value these things. I know there’s a very large segment of our population that STILL enjoys the outdoors. I experience this personally and frequently when I’m enjoying my own outdoor pursuits. There is no shortage of Americans (both legacy and recent arrivals) who draw their primary life enjoyment from the outdoors. Many of the skills that we learn in our various pursuits could help us survive in emergency, SHTF situations, be they instigated by nature or human miscreance. We mustn’t let these traditions fade away. The skills promoted are far too valuable.
Thankfully, (largely due to ‘Capitalism’ - strangely unpopular with today’s youth), the empty space left by the metrosexualization of Gander Outdoors and Dick's will likely soon be filled by other enterprising entrepreneurs. That’s one of the amazing things about our culture in America, the capitalist culture. Where there’s a need, there’s a profit to be made – and it won’t be long until someone comes along to fill that need and make bank off the mistakes of others. And when they do…I’ll be first in line.
Gander Outdoors, the last local big box store in the Fredericksburg, VA area that sells guns (and hunting and fishing gear), as of Friday, 9/10 no longer sells guns, and hunting, and fishing gear. They’re going to sell, from now on, only RV gear, camping gear, and kayaking/boating gear. (So – I’m still a customer.
Our local Dick’s ALSO doesn’t sell guns anymore. Or hunting gear. Or fishing gear. A few Wal-Mart stores in the area sell some very basic, low-end hunting and fishing supplies, and low-end firearms. But nothing anyone who is serious about their sport would entertain. So now, a serious fisherman or hunter in the Fredericksburg, VA area has to drive the 50 minutes-to-an-hour drive to either Cabela’s, Bass Pro, or Green Top to find big-box selection for firearms, hunting gear and fishing tackle. What the actual..(you know)..? The few small LGS's in the area will of course, improve their gun sales volume. But as far as fishing tackle and hunting gear, the local hunter sportsman has no where locally to turn.
To me, this seems like the ‘metrosexualizing’ of the Piedmont. Re-making Fredericksburg in the image of Northern Virginia. (
BUT FISHING!?!?!? Fishing!?!?!? Really? What more traditional, wholesome, harmless (except to the fish) outdoor activity is there for fathers/mothers to pass on to and bond with their sons/daughters than fishing? What, is it not profitable!? BULL-_____!! Judging by the crowds I’ve seen in these stores and their checkout lines it HAS to be profitable. So, what then? Is it that businesses are shying away from anything that “might offend”?(Good luck with that) If so, that’s a very sad state of affairs for our culture. I grew up in an era(not so long ago, BTW) where many fathers(and some mothers) taught their children things like gun safety, marksmanship, outdoorsmanship, fishing, hunting, camping, etc. We learned to respect and value these things. I know there’s a very large segment of our population that STILL enjoys the outdoors. I experience this personally and frequently when I’m enjoying my own outdoor pursuits. There is no shortage of Americans (both legacy and recent arrivals) who draw their primary life enjoyment from the outdoors. Many of the skills that we learn in our various pursuits could help us survive in emergency, SHTF situations, be they instigated by nature or human miscreance. We mustn’t let these traditions fade away. The skills promoted are far too valuable.
Thankfully, (largely due to ‘Capitalism’ - strangely unpopular with today’s youth), the empty space left by the metrosexualization of Gander Outdoors and Dick's will likely soon be filled by other enterprising entrepreneurs. That’s one of the amazing things about our culture in America, the capitalist culture. Where there’s a need, there’s a profit to be made – and it won’t be long until someone comes along to fill that need and make bank off the mistakes of others. And when they do…I’ll be first in line.
