Gun industry sees banks as new threat to 2nd Amendment
LISA MARIE PANE,
Associated Press
June 24, 2018
In this April 25, 2018, photo, Gary Ramey, owner and founder of Honor Defense, a gunmaker in Gainesville, Ga., holds a part from one of the company's firearms. Ramey and others in the gun industry are finding corporate America distancing itself from gunmakers and gun dealers, discontinuing discounts or refusing business. (AP Photo/Lisa Marie Pane)
GAINESVILLE, Ga. (AP) — With Gary Ramey's fledgling gun-making business taking off in retail stores, he decided to start offering one of his handguns for sale on his website.
That didn't sit well with the company he used to process payments, and they informed him they were dropping his account. Another credit card processing firm told him the same thing: They wouldn't do business with him.
The reason? His business of making firearms violates their policies.
Still, the industry believes it needs stronger laws against financial retaliation in the future.
"We may have to seek legislation to make sure it can't be done and that you can't discriminate against individuals from lawful exercise of a constitutional right," said Larry Keane, senior vice president and legal counsel for the National Shooting Sports Foundation, which represents gunmakers. "Imagine if banks were to say you can't purchase books or certain books aren't acceptable. That would be problematic and I don't think anyone would stand for that kind of activity by the banking industry."