On Tuesday ,Twenty-four Republican Attorneys Generals, sent a letter to American Express, Mastercard, and Visa, warning them to drop plans to code and compile gun sales in America.
According to Breitbart News, credit card companies were under pressure from New York Democrats, including New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) to recategorize gun sales, so they could be flagged. Apparently, Visa caved to Democrat pressure first, and agreed to recategorize gun sales, giving them a special code so they would stand out from other sporting goods or general merchandise purchases, back on September 10th. Sadly, Mastercard and American Express, soon after, capitulated to Democrat demands.
In a letter addressed to the CEOs of Visa, Mastercard, and American Express, dated September 20, 2022, some 24 republican state attorney generals stated in part:
“The new code will not protect public safety. Categorizing the constitutionally protected right to purchase firearms unfairly singles out law-abiding merchants and consumers alike. First, efforts to track and monitor sales at gun stores would only result in vague and misleading information. This categorization would not recognize the difference, for example, between the purchase of a gun safe and a firearm. Nor would it capture firearm purchases made at department stores, resulting in arbitrarily disparate treatment of “gun store” merchants and consumers. And…
More importantly, purposefully tracking this information can only result in its misuse, either unintentional or deliberate. Creating and tracking this data only matters if your institutions are considering using that information to take further, harmful action—like infringing upon consumer privacy, inhibiting constitutionally protected purchases by selectively restricting the use of your payment systems, or otherwise withholding your financial services from targeted “disfavored” merchants.”
-Letter from 24 Republican Attorney Generals
What the Democrats were proposing violates privacy laws, is categorically unconstitutional and should not have been something that these mega credit corporations should have agreed to in the first place. That these credit card companies caved to the democrats in this request, strongly speaks of their easy loss of integrity, in their business practices. Businesses should have no part in partisan policies.
Gratefully, these Attorney General’s closed the letter with these two paragraphs:
“Social policy should be debated and determined within our political institutions. Americans are tired of seeing corporate leverage used to advance political goals that cannot muster basic democratic support. The Second Amendment is a fundamental right, but it’s also a fundamental American value. Our financial institutions should stop lending their market power to those who wish to attack that value.” And…
“Be advised that we will marshal the full scope of our lawful authority to protect our citizens and consumers from unlawful attempts to undermine their constitutional rights. Please keep that in mind as you consider whether to proceed with adopting and implementing this Merchant Category Code.”
-Letter from 24 Republican Attorney Generals
Those twenty-four State Attorney Generals, who signed the letter were: Steve Marshall (AL), Daniel Cameron (KY), Treg R. Taylor (AK), Jeff Landry (LA), Mark Brnovich (AZ), Lynn Fitch (MS), Jonathan Skrmetti (TN), Austin Knudsen (MT), Leslie Rutledge (AR), Eric Schmitt (MO), Ashley Moody (FL), Douglas J. Peterson (NE), Chris Carr (GA), John Formella (NH), Todd Rokita (IN), Dave Yost (OH), Derek Schmidt (KS), Ken Paxton (TX), Patrick Morrisey (WV), Sean Reyes (UT).John M. O’Conner (OK), Jason Miyares (VA), Alan Wilson (SC), and Bridget Hill (WY).
That these twenty-four brave state officials, have sought to correct a wrongful policy, that these credit card companies are considering embarking on, under pressure by Democrats, is to be heralded. Not often does one see a stand for this nations’ constitutional rights so plainly stated, or supported in todays very controlling culture. This stand for our nations’ freedoms, comes as a breath of fresh air – in a very dark point in our history. May these businesses take to heart, these strong words of challenge, and drop their capitulation to the Democratic left, who wants to take away, if not limit severely – this nation’s 2nd Amendment rights.
"I would rather die fighting for what is right than live passively amidst all that is wrong."
-Suzy Kassem