“While taking a stand can be unpopular with some, doing nothing is no longer an option”
Some, you say? That’s going to be a rather large sum of “somes”, Levi Strauss CEO / President Chip Bergh now that you have announced millions of dollars for those that desire to restrict our Second Amendment Rights. You just announced that you will be:
So today, on top of our previous actions, Levi Strauss & Co. is lending its support for gun violence prevention in three new areas. First, we have established the Safer Tomorrow Fund, which will direct more than $1 million in philanthropic grants from Levi Strauss & Co. over the next four years to fuel the work of nonprofits and youth activists who are working to end gun violence in America.
Gun violence is nothing more than a euphemism for Gun Control. Are you hopeful that what Dick’s Sporting Goods did to themselves by turning into a gun restriction supporter won’t hurt your bottom line? Or Under Armor that yanked its support for its spokeswoman, Sara Bowmar, simply because her husband hunted a bear has seen its hunting clothing sales decline?
Second, I’m proud to announce that Levi Strauss & Co. is partnering with Everytown for Gun Safety and executives including Michael Bloomberg to form Everytown Business Leaders for Gun Safety, a coalition of business leaders who believe, as we do, that business has a critical role to play in and a moral obligation to do something about the gun violence epidemic in this country. I encourage every CEO and business leader reading this to consider the impact we could make if we stood together alongside the broad coalition of concerned parents, youth, elders, veterans, and community and faith leaders who are committed to shaping a safer path forward.
Bloomberg, who funds Everytown, has made it clear that he wants to strip us of our Second Amendment Rights. Good to know, Mr. Bergh. Their only answer is to restrict Rights instead of going after the root cause of the problem: culture. You have just told us that you are willing to tear the Constitution asunder for “health and security” reasons and in the process, trade Freedom for it. You have paid no attention to your history – you will end up with neither if you continue.
…I know that Americans, including many of our own consumers, employees, and other partners, hold a wide spectrum of views related to guns. I’m not here to suggest we repeal the Second Amendment or to suggest that gun owners aren’t responsible. In fact, as a former U.S. Army officer, I took a solemn oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States.
It is clear that while you swore your fealty to the Constitution, you missed some critical pieces contained within it. While your heart may tell you that you are doing the right thing, you aren’t. You are now teamed up with those that don’t care about the Constitution or the philosophy that undergirds it and your service to it. While I thank you for your service, you are woefully misguided on this decision.
I hope that the marketplace here in the US punishes Levi Strauss & Co for your direction in this and punishes it severely. I have bought your products in the past; I no longer will. I hope others will take my lead on this. And let me ask you this:
And support is being sustained by the powerful movement led by youth from Parkland, Chicago, Oakland, Baltimore, and other cities across the nation.
You have years of experience in managing within your enterprise – would you be willing to step aside and allow a David Hogg or the other Parkland kiddies run Levi?
No, I didn’t think so. So why do you praise them highly and insinuate that 15, 16, 17, or even 18 years olds have the experience or wisdom, if you wouldn’t let them near the levers of power within Levi, take charge of an even more important are – the Constitution? I realize they make up a large part of your consumer brand sales – but should the Constitution be for sale like any other consumer item?
I think not.
You’ve chosen sides in the Culture War – you have chosen the Progressive / Socialist civilian disarmament side in that Culture War. Decisions have consequences and no amount of pablum that you aren’t “advocating to repeal the 2nd Amendment nor calling gun owners irresponsible”. Sorry, you just did.
Each and every one of us that value and cherish the innate Right to Keep and Bear Arms will take notice of Levi’s decision like all of the companies that have made that same decision. Nike chose sides in the Culture War as well by making Colin Kaepernick, the former NFL quarterback that gave rise to the NFL losing 1/3 of its viewership, a start spokesman with not just sneakers but entire lines of clothing and accessories – their stock is now being punished.
I need new jeans – I won’t buy yours like I have in the past. I like LL Bean’s variants and I like them a lot. But, I just called the LL Bean media relations in Freeport, ME directly and explained the above to Matt in that office and who GraniteGrok is here in NH. My question to them was if they outsourced any of their jean manufacturing to you or any of your entities that you control. If they do, I will no longer purchase from them.
My fallback would be Land’s End (from whom I just did two large purchases of business branded shirts and hats for GraniteGrok). I hope I won’t need a Plan C.
I have no intention of continuing to support companies, to the best of my ability, that choose the side that started and is accelerating its attack on us.
