January 3, 2013 David Pratt, CEO
Gander Mountain
180 East Fifth St Suite 1300
St. Paul, MN 55101
Dear Mr Pratt,
As a small town mayor, it is with mixed emotions that I greet 2013. I have hope that the coming year will bring health, prosperity and opportunity to my Morrisville community, my state of North Carolina and to our country at large. It is with sadness that I acknowledge that unless we begin to make meaningful changes, the gun violence of years past will continue in 2013 and beyond.
When the Morrisville, NC Gander Mountain was announced in March 2012, I allowed my name to be attached to a press release that read in part:
"This is great news for the citizens of Morrisville and our entire Triangle area," said Morrisville mayor Jackie Holcombe. "Gander Mountain has a highly-regarded reputation and will be a perfect fit for our community’s diverse retail mix. I’m pleased to welcome this quality company to Morrisville and to the Triangle and our community looks look forward to continuing to serve their business needs in the future."
I now question that decision. The availability of semi-automatic Military-style rifles and high capacity ammunition magazines at the Morrisville Gander Mountain has not been great news for our citizens. As a recent email to me noted: “I wept when I opened today’s News and Observer and saw the Gander Mountain ad for semi-automatic rifles.” Further, the phrase “highly-regarded reputation” is not one I have heard associated with Gander Mountain’s sale of Military-style rifles.
At the memorial service for victims of the Newtown, CT tragedy, our President said:
“If there is even one step we can take to save another child or another parent or another town from the grief that has visited Tucson and Aurora and Oak Creek and Newtown and communities from Columbine to Blacksburg before that – then surely we have an obligation to try.”
I believe it is indeed our obligation to try and the reason for my letter to you today.
The issue of gun violence is a complex one and will require a multi-faceted solution. I ask that Gander Mountain do their part toward that solution by discontinuing sales of semi-automatic rifles and high capacity ammunition magazines.
I appreciate your consideration and am available to meet with your local representatives to further discuss opportunities to address the alarming loss of life from semi-automatic rifles.
Respectfully Yours,
Jackie Holcombe, Mayor, Town of Morrisville
