As rates of crime skyrocket and calls for gun control intensify, Mark Smith, President and CEO of firearm manufacturer Smith & Wesson, offered stern words of rebuke to politicians who disparage the 2nd Amendment while at the same hypocritically promote laws that abet lawlessness.
Earlier this year, President Joe Biden signed the Safer Communities Act which encouraged controversial, unconstitutional red flag laws. A slew of states have also cracked down on gun rights this year.
At the same time, billionaire George Soros has been pouring massive sums of money into the campaigns of soft-on-crime district attorneys throughout the nation.
In his lengthy statement, Smith points out that these soft-on-crime policies compounded by simultaneous attacks on the 2nd Amendment - not the 2nd Amendment itself - are largely responsible for the uptick in crime.
Read Mark Smith’s full statement below:
“A number of politicians and their lobbying partners in the media have recently sought to disparage Smith & Wesson. Some have had the audacity to suggest that after they have vilified, undermined and defunded law enforcement for years, supported prosecutors who refuse to hold criminals accountable for their actions, overseen the decay of our country’s mental health infrastructure, and generally promoted a culture of lawlessness, Smith & Wesson and other firearm manufacturers are somehow responsible for the crime wave that has predictably resulted from these destructive policies. But they are the ones to blame for the surge in violence and lawlessness, and they seek to avoid any responsibility for the crisis of violence they have created by attempting to shift the blame to Smith & Wesson, other firearm manufacturers and law-abiding gun owners.
It is no surprise that the cities suffering most from violent crime are the very same cities that have promoted irresponsible, soft-on-crime policies that often treat criminals as victims and victims as criminals. Many of these same cities also maintain the strictest gun laws in the nation. But rather than confront the failure of their policies, certain politicians have sought more laws restricting the 2nd Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens, while simultaneously continuing to undermine our institutions of law and order. And to suppress the truth, some now seek to prohibit the firearm manufacturers and supporters of the 2nd Amendment from advertising products in a manner designed to remind law-abiding citizens that they have a Constitutional right to bear arms in defense of themselves and their families.
To be clear, a Smith & Wesson firearm has never broken into a home; a Smith % Wesson firearm has never assaulted a woman out for a late-night run in the city; a Smith & Wesson firearm has never carjacked an unsuspecting driver stopped at a traffic light. Instead, Smith & Wesson provides these citizens with the means to protect themselves and their families.
We are proud of our 170-year history. We are proud of the commitment of our employees to making a quality product. We are proud to provide law-abiding citizens and law enforcement – our customers – with the tools to provide for their security and independence. We are proud of our responsible business practices.
We will continue to work alongside law enforcement, community leaders and lawmakers who are genuinely interested in creating safe neighborhoods. We will engage those who genuinely seek productive discussions, not a means of scoring political points. We will continue informing law-abiding citizens that they have a Constitutionally-protected right to defend themselves and their families. We will never back down in our defense of the 2nd Amendment.
Mark’s earnest defense of the 2nd Amendment is just what we needed to hear. Thankfully, there are millions of citizens like him who are willing to stand up for this important right.
Using an Article V Convention of States, We the People can strip the radicals in Washington of their ability to chip away at our constitutionally guaranteed right to self-defense. To show your support, sign the COS petition today!
