In a show of support for the movement to end gun violence, local organic food co-op and firearms manufacturer GreenStar announced on March 14 that it would discontinue sales of its weapons to customers under the age of 21. “Student activism in the wake of the Parkland shooting in Florida has convinced us that every part of society must contribute in the fight against gun violence, and we have decided that we can no longer sit idly by while enabling guns to get into the hands of our nation’s youth,” wrote the cooperative in its latest press release. This announcement came shortly after GreenStar’s choice to end a program giving discounts to NRA members, a popular one among Ithaca’s pro-vegan, pro-Second Amendment community.
The decision to regulate the sale of firearms surprised many GreenStar patrons, for whom the cooperative’s firearms were just as much of a draw as their organically produced GMO-free, plant-based foods. “When I think of GreenStar, I think of two things: the organic health foods I eat to protect myself from sickness, and the locally-made firearms I use to protect myself from oppressive government regimes,” said one longtime co-op member, who requested to remain anonymous.
Even more startling for many patrons was the rumor that GreenStar would end for all members the sale of AR-15’s, which are currently one of the store’s most profitable products, second only to kale chips and quinoa. A few co-op members reportedly said that they envisioned creating a future in which gun sales played no part in the GreenStar community at all, a move which critics have said would leave no room for GreenStar to succeed in Ithaca.
Although the co-op’s support for gun regulation shocked many, previous signs pointed to a shift in its stance on the issue. GreenStar’s receptiveness to the movement against gun violence was shown on March 12 when they canceled their NRA-sponsored intersectional class, “Guns’ Rights Are Women’s Rights (If Those Guns Are Female).” Many Ithacans still wait as GreenStar determines the specific role weapon manufacturing will play in its future.