National Rifle Association: 4-Million Votes
"TD Bank currently aids the gun manufacturing industry through a $60-million revolving line of credit with Smith & Wesson, a gun manufacturer that produces the AR-15 -- an assault weapon that was used by James Holmes to kill 12 people and wound 58 in a crowded movie theatre in Aurora. I ask you to use your influence to push this company to find common ground with the vast majority of Americans who support a military weapons and ammunition ban and comprehensive background checks."This fractious, socially-conflicted right to bear arms guaranteed in the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution is one that conservative-leaning Americans value and resist watering down despite the country's reputation of having more arms in private hands than any other country in the world, despite the dreadful toll that gun violence takes on society. But this is an issue of immense importance to the nation, and one that must have a legislated solution.
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emmanuel letter to TD Bank's American subsidiary
Time and again it has been pointed out that the love of Americans for their weapons ownership is a reflection of their history, their pioneer spirit, their authentic belief in self-sufficiency, their right to express themselves as a free people who may need from time to time to bear arms in fear of an overbearing government that would trample on the peoples' rights, given the opportunity. The opportunity has arisen time and again.
One mass atrocity of bloody murder after another has galvanized the public to an outraged condemnation of the country's gun availability and the increasing deadliness of the more technologically advanced arms that popularize the gun shows that take place as events of great significance, alongside that of the introduction of new vehicle models that people fascinated with both guns and cars flock to attend.
There have been municipal, state and federal laws enacted from time to time, some temporary, some of a more permanent nature, to attempt to stem the ownership ratio of population-to-weapons. It has been estimated that for every breathing soul in America there is ownership of at least one weapon; the population total equals the numbers of guns in circulation. The gun lobby is ferociously jealous of their constitutional 'rights' enshrined in law.
It is an uphill battle to try to legislate controls on gun ownership. It is such a volatile subject that politicians prefer to ignore it rather than bring attention to their consideration of limiting gun sales and ownership criteria, including the banning of the more lethal of the automatic weapons. The issue is being tackled now once again, with opinions on each side ramping up their resistance. Still, it is a social/political issue, one to be decided ultimately by governments.
Two other financial institutions in the U.S., Bank of America one of them, were sent similar letters by the Mayor of Chicago, that $25-million letter of credit to gun maker Sturm, Ruger & Company Inc. be re-evaluated. This gun manufacturers produces a series of semi-automatic AR-15 assault rifles like the Bushmaster used in the December 14 slaughter of 20 elementary school children and their six teachers at Sandy Hook School in Newtown, Conn.
As occurs when such dreadful disasters take place, stock in gun manufacturing companies rises in tandem with increased sales in assault weapons. Smith & Wesson's stock outpaced the Dow Jones Industrial Average by 150%. And gun-loving, weapons-toting Americans are sweeping gunshops clean of their stocks of rifles and guns and the ammunition that goes with them. Cities are responding by divesting their pension funds of shares in gun makers.
"We're going to do everything we can as mayors to use ... the collective buying power of many millions of dollars in guns and ammunition, to support those who will support common-sense laws and oppose those who are fighting us in Congress", promised Minneapolis Mayor Rayond Rybak. "I am not going to have the people, the taxpayers of Minneapolis, pay for people to stop the Congress from passing laws that keep our people safe."
Not if the National Rifle Association has anything to say about it.
Labels: Armaments, Conflict, Controversy, Crime, Crisis Politics, Defence, Political Realities, Security, United States
posted by Pieface @ Tuesday, January 29, 2013
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