I’ve read that there is a call to boycott Giro, Bell, Camelbak, CoPilot, and other brands owned by Vista Outdoor. It’s that sort of knee-jerk (with the emphasis on “jerk”) reaction that gets me up on my soapbox today. While I too am saddened by the lives lost recently in Florida, I am not so naive to think that a boycott will accomplish anything. It won’t hold the FBI or local police accountable for their failures. It won’t hold the school’s RSO accountable for standing outside, not doing what he was trained and hired to do. And it certainly won’t bring back loved ones, or bring about change.
But I’m not going to lay any blame today. I’m just going to ask some questions to those that feel the need to boycott something:
Who will you boycott over shootings in Detroit, Chicago, or Washington DC? That is a daily occurrence in those cities. Surely there is a brand or company you want to send a message to. But just like I won’t lay blame, I won’t specifically point out the hypocrisy of turning a blind eye and deaf ear to that situation.
Do you take any medications? Sorry, you should boycott Big Pharma instead. Each day, we lose about 60 lives to unintentional deaths from prescription drugs. That’s 22,000 every year.
Do you drink? I’m not talking frat-boy beer chugging. If you have even one alcoholic beverage, you are supporting an industry that kills upwards of 88,000 people in a year. Better cut them out of your budget now.
Do you drive a car? Because the drug and alcohol deaths seem almost inconsequential compared to the 3,200 deaths every single day in car-related accidents. Let me help you, if you don’t have your calculator handy. That’s nearly 1.3 million people each year. Time to start walking, or maybe buy a bicycle. Oh wait, you want to boycott Vista’s brands. Here’s something to keep in mind though. Dig deep enough, and I’m sure you’ll find something not to like about every other brand out there. In the meantime, chew on this:
Vista Outdoor is a holding company that owns brands that make bicycle helmets, child carriers, hydration, trailers, racks, pumps, panniers, and other related accessories. In addition, they own one of America’s favorite outdoor cooking brands. And a paddleboard company. Plus sports goggles, safety glasses, kid’s scooters, and a lot more. Vista Outdoor brands are used every day by countless millions for work and recreation. If you want to boycott them, you might as well boycott the outdoors, fun, and healthy lifestyle choices too. Just don’t think for one minute that doing so will address any of the issues facing our country right now.