Gunmakers Attempt To Soften Marketing Image Amid Mass Shootings And Growing Public Concern Over Attacks
The industry is shifting away from macho man marketing and into a softer image in an attempt to bolster flagging sales as politics around gun violence become more complex. Meanwhile, lawmakers have introduced legislation that would stop the FBI from purging incomplete background checks from their lists.
The New York Times:
Gunmakers Battle ‘Trump Slump’ With A Softer Sales Pitch
It was like any other convention in this city of neon and slot machines, except for all the guns. At the Shot Show, an annual gathering of the firearms industry in Las Vegas, flash drives shaped like military rifles were handed out. Influencers with large followings on Instagram and TikTok posed for selfies, Glocks in hand. Visitors took turns sitting in the “Freedom Throne,” an eight-foot chair made out of shell casings and other munitions from a company called Lucky Shot USA. (Hsu, 2/23)
Roll Call:
Lawmakers Seek To Tighten Gun Background Checks
The FBI would no longer be able to purge incomplete gun background checks from its systems if legislation by Rep. Jimmy Panetta becomes law. The California Democrat introduced the bill Friday in response to a CQ Roll Call report that revealed the bureau purges hundreds of thousands of background checks each year — a practice that could allow gun sales without a completed background check. (Eaton, 2/22)
In other gun violence news —
Cincinnati Enquirer:
Andy Beshear Signs Kentucky Bill Arming School Resource Officers
Despite calls from civil rights groups to veto the legislation, Gov. Andy Beshear signed a bill requiring school police to carry guns. After Senate Bill 8 cleared the House earlier this month, Beshear had until Friday to either sign the bill, veto it or let it become law without his signature. (Krauth, 2/21)
