Bass Pro Shops pulls Trail of Tears rifle amid complaints

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press


Updated 9:30 pm CST, Friday, November 16, 2018

TULSA, Okla. (AP) — Bass Pro Shops pulled a used 1978 Winchester rifle commemorating the Cherokee Trail of Tears from one of its Arkansas store's shelves and apologized to the tribe after a photo of the gun led to calls to boycott the outdoor gear chain.

A customer in Rogers, Arkansas, posted photos of the rifle on Twitter, leading to accusations that Bass Pro was profiting from the tragic forced relocation of the Cherokee Nation that began in 1838. More than 4,000 Cherokee died during the more than 1,000-mile walk to what is now Oklahoma in what is known as the Trail of Tears.

The company's communications director, Jack Wlezien, told The Tulsa World that the rifle was acquired from a trade-in and is not part of the store's standard stock.

"It's a niche product that came in on a trade," Wlezien said. "As you can imagine, there are a wide range of firearms traded on a regular basis, and there wasn't much deep consideration about the individual gun from a merchandising standpoint by our (sales) associate, but now we are taking steps to be sure we're dealing with it appropriately."

Read more: https://www.chron.com/news/us/article/Bass-Pro-Shops-clarifies-Trail-of-Tears-rifle-13395412.php

[SHRED]

1. There is a park in Escondido, CA

It's called Kit Carson Park.
I just recently learned how badly he treated the Navajos.
He was a murderer.

[DRoseDARs]

4. We had the same thought, same time. As in California, so in Arkansas...

Anywhere you go in this country, we aren't thorough or honest about the darker chapters in US history. Strides are being made, but this sales associate is just one example of where we fail in proper education. This sales person might never have heard of the Trail of Tears before this blew up or if they had, might not have been taught about its horrors.

[DRoseDARs]

2. It is unlikely the sales associate had ever heard much about the Trail of Tears.

Even in the not-Confederate parts of the country US history isn't as thorough or honest about our collective shame as we should be, I doubt Arkansas teaches to a higher caliber. We still observe fucking Columbus Day nationally, for god's sake.

[mwooldri]

5. Possible...

As a non-American I only learned about the Trail of Tears after visiting Cherokee, NC. While I was well educated on 20th Century US history and that I had a general idea that the European Invaders really treated the indigenous population badly, I just didn't know how bad.

The teaching of how the Euros treated the Native Americans must be in the school curriculum and must be mandated learning.

[Cirque du So-What]

3. I'm still trying to wrap my mind around...

commemorating genocide and forced relocation on a firearm. 'Niche product.' SMH

[Kaleva]

6. Right below the OP is a Bass Pro Shops ad.

[DRoseDARs]

7. The Ad-mo-Tron produces ads based on keywords on a given page, nothing more.

That's one of the more benign examples. Really bad when a gun ad appears with a massacre story.

[PJMcK]

8. Buy a star and lose the ads

(wink)

[Sherman A1]

9. Yup

It really isn't all that much.

[Nitram]

13. Thanks a lot, Kaleva, for getting me to wade through a bunch of lame marketing ploys, with no ad for

the rifle in sight. There are photos of the rifle on display here:

https://www.tulsaworld.com/news/local/bass-pro-shops-sets-record-straight-on-trail-of-tears/article_b7535254-58db-5cbd-8dcd-16965d4e3473.html

[GulfCoast66]

14. No ads for me. I got a star.

[doctorzuma]

10. What's Next?

A 1968 Winchester commemorating the My Lai massacre. What I find frightening is there could already be one, for all I know.

[Lars39]

11. Welcome to DU, doctorzuma!

[doctorzuma]

15. thanks!!!

[The Genealogist]

12. Good grief

The Trail of Tears passes through Springfield, MO where Bass Pro Shops is headquartered. That makes this stupid and thoughtless move to put that rifle on sale even worse.