"Business Leaders Mute on Gun Control Amid Growing Expectations"
In the wake of a recent mass school shooting in Nashville, corporate executives are noticeably absent from public discourse on gun control. A year ago, companies like Walmart and Dick's Sporting Goods took significant steps to reduce their exposure to guns by halting ammunition sales or ceasing to sell semi-automatic rifles at stores.
However, since then, silence from the business community has been deafening. While many CEOs have spoken out on other social issues, such as climate change and immigration reform, their voices are noticeably absent when it comes to gun control.
According to Yale professor Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, who works closely with top executives, CEOs are feeling frustrated because they're waiting for "everybody else" to join the conversation. In other words, they've taken a strong stance on gun control but feel that more needs to be done without their having to carry the burden alone.
Sonnenfeld suggests that social capital is just as valuable as financial capital and that CEOs want public trust, which requires others in civil society to step up and advocate for change. The issue of gun control has become a "public health crisis" that requires collective action from all sectors of society.
Contrary to popular perception, CEOs do not hold the purse strings when it comes to donating to politicians. Since the 2020 elections, much less campaign contributions have come from big business, and many companies have either imposed official moratoriums on giving or have given mere pennies to politicians.
Despite this, executives are still actively engaged in advocating for social causes. However, their expectation is that others will join them in the conversation rather than being expected to carry the weight alone.
The silence from corporate America is particularly striking after a series of mass shootings in recent years. As Sonnenfeld noted, it was not just CEOs who led social change in the 1960s; interfaith activism, student activism, and community engagement were also key drivers of that movement.
In today's society, where big business has become an increasingly influential force on public policy, it is clear that silence from the corporate sector is not acceptable. It is time for CEOs to step up their advocacy efforts without expecting others to follow suit.
In the wake of a recent mass school shooting in Nashville, corporate executives are noticeably absent from public discourse on gun control. A year ago, companies like Walmart and Dick's Sporting Goods took significant steps to reduce their exposure to guns by halting ammunition sales or ceasing to sell semi-automatic rifles at stores.
However, since then, silence from the business community has been deafening. While many CEOs have spoken out on other social issues, such as climate change and immigration reform, their voices are noticeably absent when it comes to gun control.
According to Yale professor Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, who works closely with top executives, CEOs are feeling frustrated because they're waiting for "everybody else" to join the conversation. In other words, they've taken a strong stance on gun control but feel that more needs to be done without their having to carry the burden alone.
Sonnenfeld suggests that social capital is just as valuable as financial capital and that CEOs want public trust, which requires others in civil society to step up and advocate for change. The issue of gun control has become a "public health crisis" that requires collective action from all sectors of society.
Contrary to popular perception, CEOs do not hold the purse strings when it comes to donating to politicians. Since the 2020 elections, much less campaign contributions have come from big business, and many companies have either imposed official moratoriums on giving or have given mere pennies to politicians.
Despite this, executives are still actively engaged in advocating for social causes. However, their expectation is that others will join them in the conversation rather than being expected to carry the weight alone.
The silence from corporate America is particularly striking after a series of mass shootings in recent years. As Sonnenfeld noted, it was not just CEOs who led social change in the 1960s; interfaith activism, student activism, and community engagement were also key drivers of that movement.
In today's society, where big business has become an increasingly influential force on public policy, it is clear that silence from the corporate sector is not acceptable. It is time for CEOs to step up their advocacy efforts without expecting others to follow suit.
. They took action last year and then just... stopped talking about it 
. I get that they're waiting for others to join in, but shouldn't they be pushing for change instead of waiting for everyone else to catch up? 
It's like, if you wanna make a difference, you gotta put your money where your mouth is (or in this case, donate to the right politicians) 
. But seriously, CEOs have been super quiet on this issue since the Nashville shooting 
. They need to step up their game and start leading the conversation instead of just waiting for others to follow suit 
. Maybe if they work together with other civil society groups and community leaders, we can finally see some real change happen 
.
not quietly hoping others will pick up where you left off. and btw, Yale professor is like "social capital = public trust" 
sounds legit to me!
i mean they're always talking about climate change and stuff but when it comes to ppl getting killed by guns, crickets 
it's like they think they can just wait for everyone else 2 do something about it. i dont get it... social capital matters too u know? 
. We need collective action from all sectors of society, not just CEOs waiting for everyone else to get on board 
.
It feels like they're saying "me too" without really doing anything 
. We need more than just words, we need action 
.
i mean i get that they don't want to be the ones pushing for change but come on guys step up! 
especially after all those mass shootings it feels like corporations are just trying to save their own skin 
and honestly i'm still waiting for them to actually do something concrete about gun control instead of just talking about it 
I feel like corps should be using their $$$ & influence to make a difference 
it's like they think someone else will pick up the slack 
and it's time for corps to step up their game 
️
, which is a bit frustrating if you ask me 
. I think CEOs need to take responsibility for using their influence to advocate for change 
, rather than expecting others to carry the weight alone 
How can these super wealthy and influential people just sit there and expect everyone else to do all the talking on gun control?!? Like, what's next?! Do they think we're just gonna keep dying over here while they just quietly sit in their boardrooms and collect their paychecks?!