While hosting the world’s largest gun show in Las Vegas this week, the gun industry went on the offense Tuesday issuing an open letter to President Obama about his efforts to impact the industry.
The letter, signed by the National Shooting Sports Foundation, which represents gun makers and dealers, and published as an advertisement in The Washington Post, tells the President that the gun industry is “profoundly disappointed” in his recent statements that the industry “stand in the way of improving public safety.”
“We are America’s gun safety experts, in the true meaning of that phrase. We provide the firearms to our nation’s military, law enforcement agencies and the civilian market for hunting, target shooting and self-defense,” the letter reads.
The letter continues by repeating sentiments expressed by the NSSF in a statement following the release of Obama’s plan to improve the federal background check system and advance gun safety measures with the application of technology. The NSSF also highlights the programs it has launched to address many of the same issues.
The NSSF says it welcomes the President’s efforts to fill cracks in the federal background check system and expand the workforce within agencies tasked with enforcing federal gun laws, but raises concerns about mandating the use of smart gun technology.
“Law enforcement agencies and consumers themselves will have to determine whether firearms with this technology ‘would be consistent with operational needs,’ as your team points out,” the letter reads. “We oppose legal mandates for this technology, particularly since there are well-proven methods to secure firearms, and firearms accidents are at 100-year low levels.”
The Obama Administration released a fact-sheet detailing the plans and the President formally introduced his executive actions the next day in a lengthy speech in which he blamed “the gun lobby,” meaning the National Rifle Association, for obstructing efforts to pass legislation that may prevent gun violence.
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