Gun Control Letter: Did Leaders of 145 Companies Go Too Far?

The United States – The leaders of 145 companies signed a letter to the U.S. Senate, calling for strict gun control and Red Flag laws. The New York Times reported this first after receiving the letter.

The Letter

The letter follows a series of political statements and policy changes from high profile companies such as Walmart, Kroger, and DICK’S Sporting Goods in the last two years.

This letter is different, though. It is a direct call on Republicans in the U.S. Senate to pass unconstitutional gun control. We believe this letter is an overstep and abuse of power by these company executives.

Take this statement from the letter, for example:

As leaders of some of America’s most respected companies and those with significant business interests in the United States, we are writing to you because we have a responsibility and obligation to stand up for the safety of our employees, customers and all Americans in the communities we serve across the country.

Letter to the U.S. Senate from leaders in 145 companies

What does signing this letter say about these executives who are throwing the weight of entire companies behind their individual opinions?

By signing, they are using their standing to make a political statement, and more than a few of their employees likely disagree with it.

It would be one thing to sign petitions or letters as individuals. Instead, using their standing as Founders and CEO’s to push a political agenda crosses a boundary. It further divides our country and can be viewed as an abuse of power.

Now, any company has the right to set store and workplace policies on firearms. It is then up to potential employees and shoppers to decide if they will place themselves in that environment. People can speak with their time and their wallets.

In some instances, it may be appropriate for a CEO to speak for an entire company. When their statements become political, these executives are likely speaking out of turn when it comes to customer and employee opinions.

Familiar Signers

Listed below are just a few of the major companies whose leadership signed the letter. Like us, you will probably recognize most of them, and even consistently utilize their services.

CEOs of companies with over 500 employees:

Airbnb, DICK’S Sporting Goods, DoorDash, Eventbrite, GAP Inc., Levi Strauss & Co., Lyft (CEO & President), Pinterest, Reddit, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., Shutterstock, Square, Squarespace, SurveyMonkey, TOMS (CEO and Founder), Twitter, Uber, and Yelp.

Companies with less than 500 employees:

Nextdoor (CEO), NowThis (President), and Voxer (CEO).

A full list is available in the letter provided to The New York Times.