By: Bradford Betz
Smith & Wesson took to Twitter to hit back at politicians and the media for suggesting that the gun manufacturer – and not the policies they support – were responsible for rising crime rates nationwide.
The company said politicians and the media have "vilified and undermined" law enforcement, supported prosecutors with policies some label soft on crime, and have generally promoted a culture of lawlessness, yet have the "audacity" to blame Smith & Wesson and other firearm manufacturers "for the crime wave that has predictably resulted from these destructive policies."
"[T]hey 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."
The company argued that cities with soft-on-crime policies and the strictest gun laws are the same ones suffering from violence.
"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," Smith & Wesson said in a statement.
It added: "And to suppress the truth, some now seek to prohibit 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."
The statement came after CEOs from several major gun manufacturers appeared before the House Oversight Committee last month to discuss whether they bear any responsibility for the mass shootings that have taken place in the U.S.
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The hearing followed a letter Committee Chairwoman Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., had sent to CEOs earlier in July, requesting that their companies submit revenue and profit data from sales of weapons that are similar to AR-15 semiautomatic rifles, in addition to how much money they spend per year on lobbying and NRA contributions.