A coalition of mayors recently gathered to discuss violent crime prevention in their cities. Only 10 of America’s many mayors chair this group, Mayors Against Illegal Guns (MAIG), which is part of Michael Bloomberg‘s Everytown for Gun Safety gun control group. At their latest summit, the coalition ratified its position that the firearm and ammunition industry is unwilling to take steps to reduce gun violence.
The problem is that MAIG’s position simply is not grounded in reality.
Efforts to paint the firearm industry as irresponsible are part of well-established narratives that dominate certain political ecosystems and the punditry of select cable news channels. There is no doubt that cities across the nation, like Kansas City, Mo., experience persistent violent crime. But fervent claims that the American businesses manufacturing firearms directly cause gun violence are based on rhetoric, not reality.
By Lawrence G. Keane