145 Corporate Oligarchs Call for Gun Control

The New York Times reports that a group of top business executives called on the U.S. Senate to pass gun control.

“Doing nothing about America’s gun violence crisis is simply unacceptable and it is time to stand with the American public on gun safety,” wrote the CEOs from 145 companies, which included Twitter, Uber and Bloomberg LP.

This letter was shared with the Times.

The corporate big wigs are now demanding that the Senate pass the political establishment’s favorite gun control schemes such as universal background checks and “red flag” laws.

“The Senate must follow the House’s lead by passing bipartisan legislation that would update the background checks law, helping to keep guns out of the hands of people who shouldn’t have them, in an effort to save lives,” the CEOs wrote.

They added,”Background checks on all gun sales are a common-sense solution with overwhelming public support and are a critical step toward stemming the gun violence epidemic in this country.”

After three mass shootings in Austin, the pressure has been dialed up on Congress to pass gun control legislation. Corporate America has played a major role in these calls for gun control during the last few years.

This letter is one of the most notable developments in Corporate America’s campaign against guns. It’s also a sign of the increased politicization of all facets of society.

Some polls claims that gun control is no longer a divisive issue. A Washington Post–ABC News poll that was unveiled earlier this week found that 89 percent of respondents, which includes 83 percent of Republicans, support universal background checks.

However, poll numbers and even the questions that they deal with do not always accurately portray popular sentiment and also do not show how enthusiastic people are about a certain policy proposal. So, it’s not inevitable that gun control will pass.

Earlier this year, the House passed a universal background check bill but it is now stagnating in the Republican-controlled Senate.

In the wake of recent shootings, stores like Wal-Mart and Kroger have discontinued the sale of firearms and changed open carry policies at their stores.

Their letter can be read here.