“Gunfight: My Battle Against the Industry That Radicalized America.”

Ryan Busse, former executive at Kimber America, a major gun manufacturer, recently shared his thoughts on these questions with ProPublica. He was vice president of sales at Kimber America from 1995 to 2020 but broke with the industry and has become a gun safety advocate. He testified about mass shootings and irresponsible marketing last July in front of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform and authored the book “Gunfight: My Battle Against the Industry That Radicalized America.”

In June 2021, he became a senior adviser for Giffords, a gun violence prevention group led by Gabrielle Giffords, the former Arizona congresswoman gravely injured in 2011 during a mass shooting. This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/...lains-roots-of-americas-gun-violence-epidemic

What do you say to people who make the argument that guns are protected by the Second Amendment and that yes, a deranged person here or there may do something bad, but is it fair to punish or penalize law-abiding gun owners with unnecessary or extra government intervention?

I am a gun owner. I hunt and shoot with my boys. I want to continue doing that. I believe and I think that I have a right to do those things. On the other hand, I do not believe that right can exist without a commensurate amount of responsibility. And that responsibility either has to be voluntary or it has to be legislated.

Those of us who want to do something about gun violence are essentially saying the same. Purchasing and possessing a lethal weapon should come with responsibility. A responsibility to fellow citizens who too often are the innocent victims of our gun culture.

 

It used to be gun owners who sought gun regulations. And it makes sense: why would you want people who are incompetent handling a gun owning one that they could point at YOU or your family. The NRA used to lobby for MORE requirements to owning a gun. But that was before they became a for-profit organization owned by gun manufacturers.

I've always asked my self this very question: If you are a responsible gun owner, who knows how to handle a weapon responsibly, and who have no criminal history that would hint to your using a gun to commit a crime, why are you not on board with SENSIBLE gun regulations? I can only think of two answers: 1- you are NOT a responsible gun owner or 2- you drank the gun lobbyists' Kool-Aid and still haven't figured out that this whole thing is not about you having a right to own a gun, but increasing gun industry profits.

 

Why are working for a gun manufacturer and gun safety at odds?

 

That's the question. Why are they?

The obvious answer is profits... I mean... the less safe the guns are, the more profitable. Especially because gun manufacturers are better protected against lawsuits than other industries, so.... it's all profits.

Maybe a better question would be why would a responsible gun owner be at odds with limiting access to guns to people who are NOT responsible gun owners? I'm guessing irresponsible gun owners would certainly oppose them. Which is food for thought....