Dakota Beacon

Weaponize defined: a transitive verb; 1) adapt for use as a weapon; 2) to develop for use as a weapon. If something is weaponized, it is used as a weapon or made into a weapon.

There is a new liberal hit-job technique afoot. The idea is to weaponize business to accomplish gun control. Since the libs are having little success using the federal government to control the private citizen’s legitimate acquisition and use of firearms, the anti-gun crowd has found a workaround.

The point in this technique is to use liberals who run large corporations, banks, and any other major businesses to hurt the gun industry and demonize gun owners. They aim to obstruct or restrict advertising, marketing, distribution, and capital in any way possible. Participating companies agree that they have “a responsibility to lessen gun violence.” Specifically, these are some of the news stories that flesh out the picture.

            —Restrict Retail. “We are partnering with Everytown for GunSafety and executives from the business community, including Michael Bloomberg, to form a coalition of business leaders who believe that business has a critical role to play and a moral obligation to do something about the gun violence epidemic in this country.” — Levi Strauss press release, 9/4/18.

            “Companies that have changed their gun policies or severed ties with the NRA after leftist boycott threats include: First National Bank of Omaha; Allied and North American van lines; Hertz, Enterprise, Alamo, National, Avis, and Budget car rental agencies; TrueCar; Chubb; MetLife; Symantec Corp.; Best Western; Wyndham; Delta; United; Paramount Rex; Starkey Hearing; Lockton insurance; Dick’s Sporting Goods; Walmart; Kroger; L.L. Bean; REI; Citigroup; Bank of America; Vista Outdoor.”  — The Los Angeles Times, 5/2/18.

            —Restrict Banks. “We should all be concerned if banks like yours seek to replace legislators and policymakers and attempt to manage social policy by limiting access to credit.” Sen. Mike Crapo (R, ID), chairman of Senate Banking Committee in a letter to Citigroup CEO Michael Corbett, AP, 6/24/18.

            “BlackRock is launching gun-free funds for retirement plans. The giant investment management company will introduce a line of funds that exclude companies that make or sell guns. That means Walmart and Dick’s Sporting Goods will not be included, a spokesperson for BlackRock said.” — CNN Money, 4/5/18.

            “Citigroup said...clients...will be asked to provide details about their [gun] product and distribution networks. If business customers decline Citigroup’s restrictions, the bank said it would work with them to ‘transition their business away.’” — The New York Times, 3/22/18.

            —Restrict Insurance. “NRA Says New York ‘Blacklisting Campaign’ Is Driving It Out of Business.” This from NBC News, 8/3/18 and a report on NRA lawsuit claiming New York’s attacks “will imminently deprive the NRA of basic bank-depository services, corporate insurance coverage, and other financial services essential to the NRA’s corporate existence.”

            “Lloyd’s of London said...it would direct underwriters to terminate all insurance offered, marketed, endorsed, or otherwise make available through the National Rifle Association of America.” — Reuters, 5/2/18.

            —Restrict Tech. “The CEO of major online retailing platform Shopify deleted a post detailing the company’s commitment to free speech...as the company began purging gun-related retailers.” — The Washington Free Beacon, 8/15/18.

            “You Tube prohibits...content that: Intends to sell firearms or certain firearms accessories through direct sales...or links to sites that sell these items...Provides instructions on manufacturing a firearm, ammunition, high-capacity magazine, homemade silencers/suppressors, or certain firearms accessories such as those listed above.” — current You Tube restrictions.

These are a few of the dozens of news stories otherwise quashed by the mainstream media.

David French of “National Review” sums up the situation rather succinctly. “Titans of American banking and communication are taking steps to restrict the use of their funds or platforms by gun makers, gun-rights advocates, and others. The threat is just now emerging, but it may be as great a danger to gun rights as it is to the culture of free speech in this nation, and indeed the two are linked.”

Dennis M. Patrick can be contacted at (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).