XPost: alt.politics.usa.constitution, alt.politics.guns, alt.california   
   XPost: sac.general   
   From: gp@dont-email.me   
      
   American denim giant Levi Strauss & Co. announced Tuesday that   
   it is launching a series of new initiatives to benefit groups   
   working to prevent gun violence.   
      
   Levi Strauss’s CEO and President Chip Bergh wrote in Fortune on   
   Tuesday that the company “simply cannot stand by silently when   
   it comes to issues that threaten the very fabric of the   
   communities where we live and work.”   
      
   “You may wonder why a company that doesn’t manufacture or sell   
   guns is wading into this issue, but for us, it’s simple,” Bergh   
   wrote. “Americans shouldn’t have to live in fear of gun   
   violence. It’s an issue that affects all of us — all generations   
   and all walks of life."   
      
   Bergh said it was his responsibility to speak up for important   
   issues since he leads a “values-drive company that’s known the   
   world over as a pioneer of the American West and one of the   
   great symbols of American freedom.”   
      
   He added that he is not advocating to repeal the 2nd Amendment   
   nor calling gun owners irresponsible.   
      
   "We can’t insulate ourselves from every threat," Bergh wrote.   
   "We can’t 'harden' every place we gather — whether it be our   
   schools, workplaces, shops, churches, or entertainment venues.   
   But we can take common-sense, measurable steps — like criminal   
   background checks on all gun sales — that will save lives."   
      
   Levi's, therefore, announced a new three-tiered initiative to   
   support gun violence prevention.   
      
   The company will donate more than $1 million over the next four   
   years to nonprofits and youth activists that work to end gun   
   violence, establishing the “Safer Tomorrow Fund.”   
      
   The blue jean manufacturer also partnered with gun control group   
   Everytown for Gun Safety and other executives to form Everytown   
   Business Leaders for Gun Safety.   
      
   Bergh called the group a coalition of business leaders who   
   “believe, as we do, that business has a critical role to play in   
   and a moral obligation to do something about the gun violence   
   epidemic in this country.”   
      
   Levi’s will also double all donations made by their employees to   
   the Safer Tomorrow Fund.   
      
   Bergh acknowledged that the decision to advocate for gun control   
   is a controversial one.   
      
   “While taking a stand can be unpopular with some, doing nothing   
   is no longer an option,” he wrote.   
      
   http://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/404902-levis-teams-up-   
   with-gun-control-group-we-simply-cannot-stand-by-silently   
       
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)