Pacific Standard March-April 2013 Cover

Political Stereotyping (cont.): The Case of The Gun Shop That Stopped Selling Machine Guns


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More than 150,000 have viewed the above video since 2010. Had you?

Our own Tom Jacobs recently reported compelling findings that liberals are more likely to stereotype conservatives, than the reverse. This week we’re seeing anecdotal evidence for why that might be so.

Below, some selected results from a Twitter search for “Cheaper Than Dirt.” If those words don’t ring a bell for you, you’re probably not a gun owner. CTD, as enthusiasts call the shop, is one of the largest and most successful online gun dealers in the country—the Amazon.com of firearms, including controversial assault weapons like the AR-15 used in the Newtown massacre. Earlier this week, the company announced it was suspending all firearms sales to review its procedures. Somewhere, someone is surely praising the decision—but their voice is certainly drowned out by the voices of dismay from customers and firearm enthusiasts, who have an active online presence—and probably like a deal as much as the next person. A selection of responses from the past few hours:

Compare that to responses from about the same time, to an identical decision by Dick’s Sporting Goods, a retailer that’s better known outside the gun community.

Two Americas? Hard to say. Two Twitters, at least.

 

About Marc Herman

Marc Herman is a writer in Barcelona. He is the author of The Shores of Tripoli.