Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez did not hold back in her criticisms of the gun manufacturing industry, slamming industry heads for their apparent unwillingness to condemn and address extremist imagery showing up in gun advertisements. The lawmaker showed a photo ad from gunmaker Daniel Defense during the House Committee on Oversight and Reform’s Wednesday meeting, “Examining the Practices and Profits of Gun Manufacturers.” That image showed a man firing a gun who had a tattoo on his arm depicting what’s known as a volknot.
“It’s a symbol that has been increasingly embraced by white supremacists,” Kelly Sampson explained when asked by Ocasio-Cortez. Sampson, who is senior counsel and director of racial justice at the nonprofit Brady, was one of the experts in attendance testifying during this hearing. Others who spoke before the committee included Giffords Law Center Senior Counsel Ryan Busse, who claimed that gun manufacturers ignore extremists who gravitate toward certain brands of guns. Ocasio-Cortez then took the opportunity to ask Daniel Defense CEO Marty Daniel whether he believes “that members of identified hate groups such as the Proud Boys or Oath Keepers should be able to purchase the AR-15 style rifles that [Daniel Defense] sells.”
Daniel side-stepped the question by simply describing how his company adheres to regulations under the ATF and abides by whatever the law dictates. President and CEO of Ruger, Christopher Killoy, answered similarly that his hands were tied because “the National Shooting Sports Foundation does not control individual member companies.”
“I can assure you that we do not tolerate racism or white supremacy,” Killoy said. Claiming he wasn’t “an expert,” instead of outright condemning extremism Killoy expressed shock at the Daniel Defense ad’s existence. The full hearing provided additional frustrating moments for gun control advocates, as industry heads described guns as “inanimate” weapons and referred to shootings as “local problems,” according to CNBC.
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