CEOs for Gun Safety is a left-leaning advocacy campaign that has released multiple letters from an array of American business executives expressing support for federal gun control legislation. The group is operated by the Countable Corporation, a left-leaning technology firm focusing on corporate advocacy. 1 2
Notable signatories include the CEOs of Dick’s Sporting Goods, Lululemon, Lyft, Bain Capital, and Bloomberg as well as sports teams including the Philadelphia Eagles and the San Francisco Giants. 3
2019 Letter
CEOs for Gun Safety was formed in 2019 when the group sent a letter to members of the U.S. Senate stating that it was “simply unacceptable” not to pass gun control legislation. The letter was organized by Chip Bergh, the CEO of Levi Strauss & Co., as well as left-leaning gun control advocacy group Everytown for Gun Safety. It included signatures from about 200 CEOs. Signers of the 2019 letter included chief executives of Amalgamated Bank, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, AirBnB, Yelp, Reddit, Postmates, Uber, Lyft, Levi Strauss, Bloomberg, and Bain Capital. 4 Other large companies including Visa and Walmart sent separate letters endorsing the group’s position. 5
The 2019 letter also endorsed background checks on all gun sales and asserted that “the Senate must follow the House’s lead by passing bipartisan legislation that would update the background checks law.” 6 7
2022 Letter
CEOs for Gun Safety reemerged in 2022 with a new letter following shootings in Buffalo, New York, and Uvalde, Texas. The letter cites statistics from Everytown for Gun Safety. It did not endorse any specific policy proposals, but it was noted that Bergh has previously stated his support for national “red flag” laws and universal background checks. The 2022 letter included most of the same signatories as the 2019 letter with several more additions and included many small companies. The group’s website added an “add your company button” and added additional signers including the heads of several small businesses. The letter began with 228 signatures and grew to over 500 after the launch. 8
Original signers of the 2022 letter include executives from Levi Strauss & Co., Bain Capital, Northwell Health, Bloomberg LP, Yelp, Lyft, DoorDash, Lululemon Athletica., J. Crew, WPP, The Permanente Medical Group, Inc., the San Francisco Giants and 49ers, and the Philadelphia Eagles. 9
After the 2022 letter was released, executives from Yahoo, the Golden State Warriors, Squarespace, the Cleveland Cavaliers and Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, the Cleveland Guardians, Penguin Random House U.S., Macmillan Publishers, Alliant Insurance Services, and La Colombe Coffee Roasters all joined the signatories. 10
Countable Corporation
CEOs for Gun Safety’s platform is operated by Countable, a left-leaning for-profit firm that assists companies with promoting “social impact” campaigns among business employees. 11
References
- Primack, Dan. “Exclusive: CEOs call on Senate to pass gun legislation.” Axios. June 9, 2022. Accessed June 27, 2022. https://www.axios.com/2022/06/09/ceos-senate-gun-legislation-letter
- “2022 Letter.” CEOs for Gun Safety. Accessed June 27, 2022. https://www.ceosforgunsafety.org/pages/letter
- Primack, Dan. “Exclusive: CEOs call on Senate to pass gun legislation.” Axios. June 9, 2022. Accessed June 27, 2022. https://www.axios.com/2022/06/09/ceos-senate-gun-legislation-letter
- 2019 letter” CEOs for Gun Safety. September 12, 2019. Accessed June 27, 2022. https://int.nyt.com/data/documenthelper/1699-gun-control-letter-to-the-sena/3258ed616a016f80dfa3/optimized/full.pdf#page=1
- “Simply Unacceptable’: Executives Demand Senate Action on Gun Violence.” New York Times. September 12, 2019. Accessed June 27, 2022. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/12/business/dealbook/gun-background-checks-business.html
- “Simply Unacceptable’: Executives Demand Senate Action on Gun Violence.” New York Times. September 12, 2019. Accessed June 27, 2022. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/12/business/dealbook/gun-background-checks-business.html
- “2019 letter” CEOs for Gun Safety. September 12, 2019. Accessed June 27, 2022. https://int.nyt.com/data/documenthelper/1699-gun-control-letter-to-the-sena/3258ed616a016f80dfa3/optimized/full.pdf#page=1
- Huddleston, Tom. “228 high-powered CEOs—from Lyft to Bain Capital—are calling for ‘bold, urgent action’ on gun violence.” CNBC. June 10, 2022. Accessed June 27, 2022. https://www.cnbc.com/2022/06/10/ceos-demand-bold-urgent-action-on-gun-reform-in-letter-to-senate.html
- “NEW: Over 500 Business Leaders & CEOs Have Signed Letter Calling on Gun Safety Action from Senate.” Everytown for Gun Safety. June 17, 2022. Accessed June 27, 2022. https://www.everytown.org/press/new-over-500-business-leaders-ceos-have-signed-letter-calling-on-gun-safety-action-from-senate/
- “NEW: Over 500 Business Leaders & CEOs Have Signed Letter Calling on Gun Safety Action from Senate.” Everytown for Gun Safety. June 17, 2022. Accessed June 27, 2022. https://www.everytown.org/press/new-over-500-business-leaders-ceos-have-signed-letter-calling-on-gun-safety-action-from-senate/
- “Employee Social Impact.” Countable. Accessed June 27, 2022. https://www.countable.com/solutions/employee-social-impact