美国国家公共电台 NPR CEOs Urge Congress To Expand Gun Background Checks

CEOs Urge Congress To Expand Gun Background Checks

ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:

The House of Representatives is set to vote Wednesday on a bill to require background checks on all gun sales, including those done online or at gun shows. Today four business leaders sent a letter urging Congress to pass the proposal. NPR's Yuki Noguchi explains why the CEOs are getting involved.

YUKI NOGUCHI, BYLINE¹: Blake Mycoskie, founder² of TOMS Shoes, supports causes like access to clean water and eye care in poor countries. But embracing something as controversial as gun control is different. He says his board of directors debated whether he should engage on a political issue unrelated to their business.

BLAKE MYCOSKIE: Everyone was very concerned about, you know, us doing something like this. But ultimately we recognized that this is an opportunity for us to really be a leader in business and to show our customers that we are engaged in the issues that matter most to them.

NOGUCHI: He, along with the CEOs of Levi Strauss, Dick's Sporting Goods and RXR Realty, signed the letter calling on the House to pass stricter background checks. Mycoskie says about 12 percent of his customers say they won't buy his company's shoes anymore as a result. But he says today's CEOs need to accept that some customers will leave, but those who remain will be more loyal.

MYCOSKIE: Yeah, we lost some customers by doing this. But I think we also strengthened our relationship in a way that was far greater than whatever we lost.

NOGUCHI: Scott Rechler is CEO of RXR Realty, a developer in the New York area. He has also become a vocal³ advocate for gun safety even though the issue has nothing to do with his business.

SCOTT RECHLER: I find it important for CEOs to take a greater level of social responsibility.

NOGUCHI: But the decision to sound off comes with substantial risk. Paul Argenti is a business professor at Dartmouth. He argues CEOs should be very careful.

PAUL ARGENTI: You're basically speaking out on something out of passion, not out of logic⁴. And businesses have shareholders⁵. And it's really not worth taking a risk unless it's absolutely important to you.

NOGUCHI: That may be why the number of executives who signed today's letter is still small and largely made up of executives who've already spoken out on gun violence. John Feinblatt is president of Everytown for Gun Safety, a gun control advocacy group. He points to banks and other retailers⁶ that have adopted their own gun control policies over the last year.

JOHN FEINBLATT: This is a key moment, very much like the moment when corporations supported marriage equality, which was often seen as a turning point for that movement.

NOGUCHI: Feinblatt says he hopes to see growing business support for gun control. But he also acknowledges that even if the bill passes the House, it faces stiffer opposition⁷ in the Republican-controlled Senate. Yuki Noguchi, NPR News, Washington.

1 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

2 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

3 vocal   

adj.直言不讳的；嗓音的；n.[pl.]声乐节目

参考例句：

• The tongue is a vocal organ.舌头是一个发音器官。
• Public opinion at last became vocal.终于舆论哗然。

4 logic   

n.逻辑(学)；逻辑性

参考例句：

• What sort of logic is that?这是什么逻辑？
• I don't follow the logic of your argument.我不明白你的论点逻辑性何在。

5 shareholders   

n.股东( shareholder的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The meeting was attended by 90% of shareholders. 90%的股东出席了会议。
• the company's fiduciary duty to its shareholders 公司对股东负有的受托责任

6 retailers   

零售商，零售店( retailer的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• High street retailers reported a marked increase in sales before Christmas. 商业街的零售商报告说圣诞节前销售量显著提高。
• Retailers have a statutory duty to provide goods suitable for their purpose. 零售商有为他们提供符合要求的货品的法定义务。

7 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。