Corporate America's Grip on Gun Regulation is Slipping
The recent mass school shooting in Nashville has left Americans stunned, but what's more surprising is the eerie silence from corporate America's biggest names. In the past, CEOs have been vocal advocates for gun control, calling it a "public health crisis" and demanding legislation to address it. However, with the latest tragedy, many of these executives are remaining mum.
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, a Yale professor who has direct lines to major CEOs, believes that top executives are feeling frustrated. They've taken a strong stance on gun control in the past but now feel that their efforts haven't made much progress. Without more backing from civil society, they don't know what else they can do.
Sonnenfeld points out that corporate America's power as advocates for change is overstated. CEOs are not saviors who can single-handedly drive social change. Social movements and activism have always been led by diverse groups of people, including clergy, students, and community leaders.
The silence from corporate America is partly due to the misconception that they control campaign contributions to politicians. In reality, big business has reduced its donations since the 2020 elections, with many companies either imposing moratoriums or contributing tiny amounts to politicians.
Tesla's recent sales numbers also highlight the disconnect between corporate rhetoric and reality. Despite a series of price cuts on lower-priced vehicles and Elon Musk's claims of strong demand at those prices, Tesla's production outpaced sales in the first quarter.
As Sonnenfeld notes, talk of "strong demand" by executives may not be backed up by the numbers. In fact, over the last 12 months, Tesla has produced 78,000 more cars than it has sold.
It seems that corporate America's grip on gun regulation is slipping, and their silence is starting to feel like a convenient excuse for inaction. As Sonnenfeld says, "You can't just be taking cause after cause as if there's nobody else in society." It's time for civil society to join the chorus and demand change from those who claim to be leading the way.
The recent mass school shooting in Nashville has left Americans stunned, but what's more surprising is the eerie silence from corporate America's biggest names. In the past, CEOs have been vocal advocates for gun control, calling it a "public health crisis" and demanding legislation to address it. However, with the latest tragedy, many of these executives are remaining mum.
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, a Yale professor who has direct lines to major CEOs, believes that top executives are feeling frustrated. They've taken a strong stance on gun control in the past but now feel that their efforts haven't made much progress. Without more backing from civil society, they don't know what else they can do.
Sonnenfeld points out that corporate America's power as advocates for change is overstated. CEOs are not saviors who can single-handedly drive social change. Social movements and activism have always been led by diverse groups of people, including clergy, students, and community leaders.
The silence from corporate America is partly due to the misconception that they control campaign contributions to politicians. In reality, big business has reduced its donations since the 2020 elections, with many companies either imposing moratoriums or contributing tiny amounts to politicians.
Tesla's recent sales numbers also highlight the disconnect between corporate rhetoric and reality. Despite a series of price cuts on lower-priced vehicles and Elon Musk's claims of strong demand at those prices, Tesla's production outpaced sales in the first quarter.
As Sonnenfeld notes, talk of "strong demand" by executives may not be backed up by the numbers. In fact, over the last 12 months, Tesla has produced 78,000 more cars than it has sold.
It seems that corporate America's grip on gun regulation is slipping, and their silence is starting to feel like a convenient excuse for inaction. As Sonnenfeld says, "You can't just be taking cause after cause as if there's nobody else in society." It's time for civil society to join the chorus and demand change from those who claim to be leading the way.
corporate america's always been about profit over people but now they're feeling the heat about gun control I think it's a bit suspicious that all these CEOs are ghosting out of the conversation, it's like they're trying to avoid taking responsibility for their influence 
meanwhile, social movements and activism are still getting things done without any corporate backing 
we need more people speaking out against gun violence and demanding change from those who claim to be leaders 
corporate america's grip on gun regulation is definitely slipping. like, where did all these ceos go? they used to be super vocal about gun control but now it's like crickets 
. i think sonnenfeld is right, corporate america isn't as powerful as we think and their "advocacy" is more like a PR stunt 
. also, tesla's sales numbers are crazy 
... if elon musk is saying demand is strong but the numbers don't back it up, what's going on? 
. I think it's because some of these big execs feel like their efforts haven't really made a difference 
. It's like, yeah they're donating to politicians and all that, but at the end of the day, it's not enough 
. We need more people stepping up and making noise about this stuff... I mean, it can't just be one person or company taking charge 
. And let's be real, when you see companies like Tesla making sales numbers that don't match their production, it's hard to take them seriously 
...
I think Jeffrey Sonnenfeld hits the nail on the head - CEOs can't single-handedly drive social change. It's gotta be a collective effort from activists and everyday folks. 
. It's like they think they can just say the right things to get attention but actually do nothing. I wish students and activists would be the ones leading the movement for change instead of CEOs who only care about their public image 
what we need is for regular people to take up the torch and demand action from their elected reps 
... it feels like no one is holding these CEOs accountable for their words. I mean, they're talking a big game on gun control but when it comes down to it, crickets 
. It's like they think they can just tweet something and everyone will magically do the right thing. Newsflash: that doesn't work 
. We need people on the ground, not just corporate execs with a PR department. And don't even get me started on Tesla's numbers - it's like they're trying to spin some kind of magic 
... but we can see right through it 
. Something needs to change and fast 
.
. And don't even get me started on Elon Musk and Tesla - price cuts left and right, but still not selling as many cars as they produce 
.
. And let's be real, who needs corporations driving social change when we've got passionate individuals like students, community leaders, and activists already leading the charge? 
Those folks don't need corporate backing to make their voices heard. Tesla's sales numbers might be lacking, but at least Elon Musk is being upfront about it – no empty PR spin here! 
. newsflash: being quiet doesn't make you an ally... it just makes you complicit 
. time for civil society to step up and demand change from those who claim to be leading the way... we can't rely on just one group of people to make a difference 
. We all know how much money these companies make off of gun sales, so it's pretty rich that they'd suddenly become silent when one of their own gets shot 