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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 14, 2018)
4A THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2018 editor@dailyastorian.com KARI BORGEN Publisher JIM VAN NOSTRAND Editor Founded in 1873 JEREMY FELDMAN Circulation Manager DEBRA BLOOM Business Manager JOHN D. BRUIJN Production Manager CARL EARL Systems Manager PRO-CON Are big banks wrong to deny services to clients that manufacture or sell guns? AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty Karl Merton Ferron/Baltimore Sun Joe Dobbins of Hartford, Maine, wears a cutout of an AR-10 tactical rifle while attending a gun rights rally April 14 at the State House in Augusta, Maine. Protesters attend the March For Our Lives rally to demand stricter gun control laws on March 24 in Washington, D.C. PRO: Some of the world’s most powerful banks push policies circumventing Constitution and federal laws CON: Private banks serve the public by pushing the gun industry toward consumer safety AKLAND, Calif. — The ancient Greek No undefined “high-capacity” magazines philosopher Aristotle warned of the dan- could be sold, even though most states rec- gers of oligarchy: the rule of the few. ognize no such restriction. Other demands In America today a new oligarchy, indepen- followed the anti-gun playbook. dent of any democratic control, has arisen. It Bank of America upped the ante, announc- ing it would refuse to provide financial services seeks to install its ideology through economic to manufacturers that make “military-style” coercion, outside of any legal process. Some of the world’s most powerful banks firearms for civilian use. have set themselves up as an unelected legisla- But that term is meaningless. Military rifles ture. They impose their decrees with no relation shoot automatically as long as the trigger is to the laws passed by Congress and the states. pulled. Civilian firearms require a separate A blatant example is the attempt to ban legal trigger pull for each shot. guns by cutting off banking services to the Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan, firearms industry. who makes more than $20 million per year, Frustrated that democratically elected has zero qualifications as a firearm expert. No legislatures have rejected the demands of their one elected him to issue diktats regarding how favored interest groups, certain banks have Americans exercise their Second Amendment decreed they will no longer do business with rights. firearm manufacturers and dealers or While other financial institutions allow others to do so. such as JPMorgan Chase have fallen The policy of financial intimidation into line to deny banking services was instigated by the Obama admin- to the gun industry, many have not. istration, frustrated that Congress Wells Fargo announced it would not wouldn’t further criminalize gun get involved in political posturing ownership. and would do business with lawful STEPHEN P. Known as Operation Choke Point, companies. HALBROOK the Department of Justice-led effort New York’s Democratic Gov. pressured banks not to do business with Andrew Cuomo would like to change gun retailers. That ended with Donald Trump’s such neutrality by blackmail. His Department election. of Financial Services sent “guidance letters” Then came the Parkland school shooting: 17 to banks and insurance companies advising students murdered, due largely to the inaction against “dealings with the NRA or similar gun of government at every level. promotion organizations.” It imposed millions The FBI did nothing after being advised of of dollars in fines on two firms and banned the planned attack. The sheriff failed to act on the sale of insurance products endorsed by the the perpetrator’s clear threats. A deputy stood NRA. idle outside the school during the killing spree. Receiving back-channel threats, financial Yet when the smoke cleared, it was time to and insurance providers canceled business blame law-abiding gun owners, the National relationships with the NRA. Rifle Association and even the Second The NRA has sued Cuomo for violation Amendment constitutional right to keep and of its First Amendment rights and using state bear arms, which needed to be repealed, the agencies to interfere with lawful business critics claimed. relations. Congress also was blamed because it hadn’t The ACLU filed a friend-of-the-court brief legislated a gun-free world where everyone was arguing that Cuomo’s policies “would set a dan- gerous precedent for advocacy groups across nice. Into the gap stepped the financial oligarchy. the political spectrum.” Citibank made the first move in March. Aristotle warned that tyranny derives from Lamenting that “our nation” has not adopted an oligarch’s “mistrust of the people; hence “common-sense measures” on firearms, the they deprive them of arms ...” Methods change bank announced that it would require its retail but basic principles don’t. sector clients to adhere to certain policies. No Stephen Halbrook is a senior fellow with the firearm could be sold to anyone under age 21, Independent Institute. He is the author of “The even though the law allows 18-year-olds to buy Founders’ Second Amendment” and “Gun Con- trol in Nazi-Occupied France.” rifles and shotguns. O W ASHINGTON — Private busi- assault weapons work — the federal ban in nesses in America can play a criti- place from 1994-2004 was proven to reduce cal role in encouraging, supporting shooting massacres in the United States. But if Congress is unwilling to act on the issue, it and enacting social change. falls to private industry to do so. Taking positions on important, socially Under federal law, you must be 21 years responsible causes can influence the mar- ketplace for goods and services, maintain or older in order to purchase a handgun. consumer focus around an issue and build But in order to buy a long gun, including a semiautomatic rifle, the purchaser only needs customer support and loyalty by allowing to be 18 years old. customers to align their spending with their There has been a surge in support values. throughout the states for raising the pur- The issue of gun violence is one in par- ticular calling out for a corporate response chase age since Parkland, with numerous to spur meaningful reforms to protect public Republican officials — including Vermont safety. Gov. Phil Scott and Florida Gov. Rick Gun violence is one of the most dangerous Scott — throwing their support behind the public health epidemics facing Americans proposal. today. Every day, 96 Americans are killed by However, Congress has to date failed to guns, with another 200 injured. consider similar federal legislation. The private sector has a role to In one of the most influential play to combat this crisis. While moves from a major bank to address some gun manufacturers have this issue, Citigroup announced this embraced policies to keep their fire- spring that they will require any arms out of dangerous hands, the vast new customers who are gun sellers majority of gun companies have yet to commit to not selling any guns KRISTIN to take such voluntary steps. to customers under 21. Once again, BROWN And if they won’t take action to private industries are taking strong, safeguard their products, decisive action to safe- guard their customers. then banks and other Americans from coast investors are well within to coast are making clear their right to act in the that they have had enough public interest to pressure of the gun violence them to do so. epidemic plaguing our In the months since a country, and banks and shooter shot and killed other major companies 17 innocent students and are listening and acting. teachers in Parkland, Fla., The Brady Campaign’s more and more people Gun Dealer Code of have turned their attention Conduct provides a blue- to assault weapons. print for how gun sellers These dangerous can take action on their weapons of war have own accord to make sure no business in places of their firearms aren’t being peace, and private compa- nies are increasingly recognizing this fact. sold to dangerous and prohibited people, but if they won’t implement responsible business In the aftermath of the shooting, Bank of America announced that it will cease lending practices on their own, then it falls upon influencers such as major banks to force their to any companies that make assault weapons hand. for civilian use. When it comes to responsible gun owner- Putting aside the fact that as private com- panies these businesses are free to provide or ship, private businesses are well within their deny services to whomever they wish, they rights to act in the public and moral interest are clearly acting in the best interests of their to ensure our safety. customers. Kristin Brown is chief strategy officer of We know that laws preventing the sales of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. ‘Private businesses are well within their rights to act in the public and moral interest to ensure our safety.’
