Posted on 03/01/2002 10:00:45 AM PST by TheDon
A spat between Dell Computer [NASDAQ:DELL] and some gun owners continued to rage today, despite a formal mea culpa from the computer maker's chairman.
In a message to supporters, Jack Weigand, owner of Pennsylvania-based Weigand Combat Handguns Inc., claimed today that Dell Computer is "connected" to Handgun Control Inc., a lobbying group that changed its name to The Brady Campaign last June.
Representatives of Dell Computer and the Brady Campaign refuted the statement.
Weigand touched off a firestorm Tuesday when he posted a notice at his site and in several gun forums, describing how Dell initially canceled his order for an Inspiron notebook computer earlier this month after his company's name triggered an automated order screening system put in place by Dell following the Sept. 11 attacks on America.
In a statement released Wednesday, Chairman Michael Dell confirmed that the computer maker does "carefully review customer orders for prohibited destinations and activities" and red-flagged Weigand's order because of the word "combat" in his company name.
But, according to Dell, the computer company made a mistake in its handling of the cancellation of Weigand's purchase.
Although Dell has offered to ship him the computer at no charge, Weigand said he refused.
"I know every gun owner in America will appreciate my not accepting the computer I was offered," said Weigand in the message, noting that Dell is listed as a merchant at a Web site entitled the Handgun Control, Inc. Online Shopping Mall.
"This is a handgun control support site. Please come to your own conclusions," said Weigand.
According to a banner at the HCI online shopping mall, clicking links in a directory of dozens of online retailers and making purchases there raises money for the gun control organization.
Dell spokesperson Cathie Hargett said the computer company was not aware of the HCI online mall, but she confirmed that the company participates in a number of online affiliate programs "on both sides of issues."
According to Hargett, Dell "has not taken a position on the issue of gun control. Not in our sponsorships, not in our giving, and not in our public policy."
A spokesperson for The Brady Campaign told Newsbytes today that the organization did not authorize the creation of the HCI online mall, nor has the lobbying group ever received any funds from the site.
According to Amy Stilwell, communications director, the Brady Campaign has also never received donations directly from Dell Computer or Michael Dell.
The site hosting the HCI mall, Progressivefunds.com, "hosts online virtual shopping malls on behalf of affiliating organizations" according to its terms and conditions page. The site is registered to David Cole of Hallsville, Texas, according to domain records. Cole was not immediately available for comment.
The lobbying group? Is that the PAC (if they have one, and I think they do...) or the 501(c)4? Does that mean that the 501(c)3 rec'd the money? They are a bit too specific for my tastes....
SAS intends on applying for the an affiliate position, we'll see.
You mean...we've just been Clintonized...
Need I remind you that Clinton's legacy at one time didn't play anywhere but the internet, either. For that matter, a Gore presidency was defeated via the internet. Not that I'm a Bush lover.
That opinion ain't even worth a flame.
I'll tell you what I (and many others) want. I want to hear Michael Dell tell us straight up what he thinks about the Second Amendment. He sets the tone for corporate attitudes. He's getting rich off Americans who fully support the Second Amendment. His explanations so far have been mealy-mouthed.
Exactly right. I've been trying to offer a level-headed perspective on these threads for days and most just don't want to listen. At the point when Mr. Weigand blew off the admission of a mistake and turned down a free notebook--a gesture I can't imagine ANY other computer manufacturer making--he became a grandstander. And when he started talking about the utter nonsense of Dell "supporting" an anti-gun group simply because a site is one of untold THOUSANDS of affiliate sites that are signed up and approved with NO screening process, he started to sound ignorant to anyone with the faintest understanding of how e-commerce affiliate relationships work. In case folks have not yet figured it out, Dell is probably the ONLY conservative major computer maker in the world. Keep it up; maybe our own people will manage to drive them to the other side of the fence out of sheer stupidity.
MM
Oh? And what about Dell? What about their good name?
Someone posted their terms and conditions for affiliate sites the other day. One item said that Dell reserves the right to cancel any affiliates that they deem offensive or inappropriate (or words to that effect).
Draw your own conclusions.
Has anyone ever seen them together in the same place at the same time?
"Dude, yer gettin' a trigger lock!"
Perhaps Dell should only sell computers with keyboard locks, to prevent them from being used for kiddie porn, terrorist activities, etc.
After all, the pen is mightier than the sword, and by extention, the keyboard is mightier than then gun. If trigger locks are of such obvious necessity to prevent gun crimes, then it stands to reason (using the same "logic") that it is the height of irresponsibility to sell computers without keyboard locks.
Point being, what? Seems like I've read that SarahB and DiFi are gun owners too.
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