Communicating Business Values

As the national debate about gun control has swirled since the mass shooting on February 14, 2018 at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, we have seen a great deal of talk but very little action. That changed yesterday.

As student survivors raised their anguished voices over the past two weeks, calling for change, several companies made gratuitous gestures of support by discontinuing discount programs for NRA members. One company - Dick's Sporting Goods - set themselves apart yesterday by taking measurable action to self-regulate gun purchases. It was a bold move, and one that they knew would receive a backlash from a segment of the population. They didn't care. They had followed all of the rules, yet the Parkland shooter had legally purchased a weapon from them. It wasn't used in the shooting, but it could have been, and that was enough to spur change.

Dick's Sporting Goods made it clear that their value for life outweighs any regard for profits, and in their statement clearly communicated their values as a company. They value our children. They value our Nation's future. They value life.