Much has been written about the cycle of shock, desire for action and apathy that follows a mass shooting. It seems as if no matter how raucous the public gets in their cries for gun control, the government that supposedly represents us stands pat on the issue.
Maybe we were just looking in the wrong places for action.
The first waves of real action come from big-box retailers.
Dick’s Sporting Goods made headlines in late February by announcing they will stop selling assault-style weapons such as the AR-15 that Nikolas Cruz used in his attack at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Walmart made a related announcement later in the day that they would raise the minimum age for purchase of guns and ammunition in their stores to 21, regardless of state laws.
This is an important step for gun control, if not necessarily gun control legislation.
Both companies have lax policies for gun purchasing, and both recognized the coming backlash for their moves.
“The hunting business is an important part of the business, no doubt about it, and there will be backlash,” said Dick’s CEO Edward Stack on CNN’s “New Day.” “As we sat and talked about it with our management team, it was — to a person — that this is what we need to do.”
Other companies like REI are facing scrutiny from their customer bases to stop selling assault-style weapons. And unlike government officials, they appear to be willing to communicate openly about the issue and reach a meaningful solution sooner rather than later.
America has always been governed by capitalism, but rarely do we see corporations trying to fill the voids where our politicians should be. It seems insane that we should be applauding large corporations like Walmart for anything humanitarian, but there is an important lesson to be learned here.
Jonah Baker | Argonaut
We don’t always have to wait for our politicians to enact policy in order for a difference to be made. There are alternatives and they can take some strange forms.
Big corporations have more agency to affect change with billions in revenue, loyal customers across the country and commercial incentives to steer with public opinion. With so much outcry for gun control, it is easy to assume that Walmart and Dick’s are trying to take advantage of the current public fervor and gain some goodwill.
Regardless of motivation, this reflects terribly upon our politicians. Some, like Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, have already taken a beating at the hands of students and constituents who experienced the Parkland shooting and have had enough. Many will simply wait for the anti-assault weapon fervor to die down in time for midterm elections at the end of 2018.
That kind of behavior is unacceptable, and we truly have reached the end of the moral line when one of America’s most controversial businesses is taking point on political issues.
Do not be surprised if more of America’s sporting goods companies take a step towards limiting assault weapons before any sort of legislation passes. Constituents only vote once or twice a year, but customers make decisions regarding their retailers far more often.
We may end up becoming a nation whose legislation is more influenced by corporate policy than actual policy, but the safety of Americans and the elimination of unnecessary weapons is worth that bizarre reality.
Jonah Baker can be reached at[email protected] or on Twitter @jonahpbaker