Posted on 03/22/2018 3:21:44 PM PDT by mojito
For too many years, in too many places, our country has seen acts of gun violence that have resulted in heartbreaking losses. We are all too familiar with them and there is no need to recount them here.
Over the same amount of time, we have waited for our grief to turn into action and see our nation adopt common-sense measures that would help prevent firearms from getting into the wrong hands. That action has sadly never come and as the weeks pass after the most recent mass shooting, it appears we are stuck in the same cycle of tragedy and inaction.
As a society, we all know that something needs to change. And as a company, we feel we must do our part.
Today, our CEO announced Citi is instituting a new U.S. Commercial Firearms Policy. It is not centered on an ideological mission to rid the world of firearms. That is not what we seek. There are millions of Americans who use firearms for recreational and other legitimate purposes, and we respect their Constitutional right to do so.
But we want to do our part as a company to prevent firearms from getting into the wrong hands. So our new policy centers around current firearms sales best practices that will guide those we do business with as a firm.
Under this new policy, we will require new retail sector clients or partners to adhere to these best practices: (1) they don’t sell firearms to someone who hasn’t passed a background check, (2) they restrict the sale of firearms for individuals under 21 years of age, and (3) they don’t sell bump stocks or high-capacity magazines. This policy will apply across the firm, including to small business, commercial and institutional clients, as well as credit card partners, whether co-brand or private label. It doesn't impact the ability of consumers to use their Citi cards at merchants of their choice.
We know our clients also care about these issues and we have begun to engage with them in the hope that they will adopt these best practices over the coming months. If they opt not to, we will respect their decision and work with them to transition their business away from Citi.
We have few relationships with companies that manufacture firearms. For those that do, we will be initiating due diligence conversations on the subject to better understand what products they make, what markets and retailers they sell to and what sales practices those retailers follow to ensure adherence to the best practices outlined above. This same due diligence screening will apply to potential clients going forward.
These common-sense sales practices already have widespread public support according to recent polling and they are easy to implement. Some, like Walmart, have gone even further.
We recognize that we don’t have all the answers and that existing technology in our industry doesn’t allow for a more targeted approach at points of sale. For that reason, we would like to convene those in the financial services industry and other stakeholders to tackle these challenges together and see what we can do. This approach has worked well in areas such as sustainability, where the Equator Principles ushered in a new era of environmentally and socially responsible financing practices. We hope to leverage collective action to encourage responsible practices by all who sell firearms. As best practices evolve, we will update our policies accordingly.
We know that the actions we are taking today will invite passion on both sides. We don’t have the perfect solution but we have come to the conclusion that we must do our part to keep guns out of the hands of those who wish to do harm. And we hope our actions help achieve that vital goal.
I bet a great portion of Fortune 500 companies support ABORTION and have zero qualms.
So what’s next - consertive publications. Freedom of Speech controlled by the banks?
Education about guns is the most rational response to “gun violence”. ALL youngsters should be given a familiarization course in the care, feeding, grooming and CORRECT means of handling sidearms, from pistols to semi-automatic rifles and pump shotguns. If the majority of youth have impressed upon them, the nature and proper means of handling weapons, there would be a two-fold benefit. For one thing, the whole secrecy thing and the mythology surrounding self-defense weapons would be stripped away, demystifying what has become the modern equivalent of dragons and boogiemen.
Guns, in and of themselves, are a lifeless mechanism. Their capacity to do good or evil lies not in the device, but in the will of the person who picks one up, either as a means of self-defense, for sporting purposes, or for some much darker expression of malice and hostility.
Along with teaching the majority of youth of the common characteristics of high-velocity projectile weapons, the small minority who, through either carelessness or those with a malicious turn of character, are incapable of absorbing the lessons being offered with a sincere desire to learn, would be identified quickly, and be branded as ineligible to ever possess a weapon, or even being allowed further access to such weapons.
On the long term, it would restore the basic reason that invaders have always faltered at the idea of attempting to overcome the American citizens. Behind every blade of grass, there would be a trained person with a weapon aimed at the invader.
“A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.”
Succinct and to the point. And just as true today as when flint-lock muskets were the most advanced technology of the time.
Technology has evolved. The right to personal self-defense remains exactly so important now as it was in 1787.
We have quite a few States that are Constitutional Carry, they could easily tomorrow, REVOKE their Corporate Charter and put them out of business in that State. It is the State’s RIGHT, the Feds have NO SAY. It used to be common place revoke corporate charters for illegal acts committed.
This is exactly why cash should never be banned
Exactly. Make it a point to use cash/checks whenever possible.
For years, I have always thrown anything with the name Citi on it in the trash. I used to deal with banks all over the USA and in Foreign countries.
Citi was the absolute worst. I led the effort to close their account against people higher up than I, and challenged them to give me one good reason to keep them.
Their reply was, It’s the largest bank in the USA, so I documented it and sent it on upstairs. The Chief Ex. Officer in charge agreed with me, and we closed the account.
That said, this is a dangerous development, where businesses such as this, undercut constitutional rights to accomplish what so far, has not been able to accomplish through our legal government processes.
Time for a criminal investigation of the CEO and board of CITI Bank.
Pull your money out of that bank.
Vote with your pocketbook.
Corporate tyranny, but tyranny none the less.
When the left divides us clear down to having business that are either left or right, wonder where the left think they will get their food?
There are close to 7,000 gun stores in the US. Is CITI going to hire a brownshirts to enforce this?
IMO, this is just progressive virtue signaling. Waiting for the day shareholders bring a class action lawsuit against a corporation for being stupid enough to engage in political virtue signaling.
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