We continue to have a gun violence epidemic in America, and it’s getting worse. It is a public health crisis that affects us all and disproportionately impacts Black and Brown communities. The recent mass killings in Uvalde, Texas, and Buffalo, New York, were only the latest manifestation of this — not to mention the 14 additional mass shootings in just the 10 days between Uvalde and Buffalo.
It does not have to be this way, and we cannot become numb to the impact these killings have. Gun deaths are preventable. As an iconic global company, we know that what we say and do matters. We cannot stay on the sidelines on an issue that threatens the fabric of the communities where we live and work.
That’s why we signed a new CEO Letter to the Senate on gun violence prevention measures and worked actively to recruit others to do likewise. This builds on an effort we undertook in 2019, and is a sign to elected officials that business wants and needs them to act, and a testament to the fact that we will stay at this however long we must.
“Our nation’s gun violence epidemic is a public health crisis threatening the rituals of our daily lives. Schools, places of worship and grocery stores should be safe havens from violence, but inaction on federal legislation has made gun violence a uniquely American problem,” said Chip Bergh, president and chief executive officer of Levi Strauss & Co. “By passing commonsense gun safety legislation, our lawmakers can save lives and restore safety in our communities. It’s time to act.”
You can read the full letter and the list of signatories here.
