Originally Posted by
jefnvk
People use the outdoors in many ways, and not all outdoor groups care to take that into account in their advocacy. The Sierra Club, which REI is partnered with, objects to ORVs on public lands. Even if I am behind their principal of protecting public lands, their views on land use do not align with mine and they try to prohibit a recreation I enjoy, why would I support that?
Now, I personally keep my buying purchases politics free, but I doubt most do. If you have a product I need at a price I'll pay, I'm buying it (which, is the bigger problem with me with REI pulling Bell and Giro over politics). It is not great for any business to get into politics, you will alienate people. They've already lost a helmet and likely a bike shoes sale from me over that political stance. Not because I am agreeing or disagreeing with their stance, but because I am not changing preferred brands because of other's politics.
Given that a very quick google showed that Cabela's (and Bass Pro) have openly supported the NRA since Cabela's was founded I think what is probably a more accurate statement is that you try to keep your purchases politics free. It appears to that it isn't just an issue of the late founder being an ardent supporter (at which point you could maybe argue "well he can do what he wants with his own money and on his own time), but they partnered with the NRA as well.
It's easy to boycott a business who is taking a political stance when their doing so is very much out in the open due in part to news coverage. It's much harder when no one writes about it or when it isn't headline news.