The National Rifle Association (NRA) and conservative news sites both released reports claiming that the iconic clothing company Levi Strauss & Co. is joining forces with former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg to attack gun rights.
According to the NRA and the conservative news sites such as LifeZette, Levi Strauss & Co is targeting millions of gun owners around the country who support and believe in the Second Amendment.
The NRA reported that the 165-year-old San Francisco Clothing brand abandoned its “rugged image” to “trample upon the fundamental rights of the American people.”
The LifeZette notes that the company has plans to donate $1 million over four years through different grants to different anti-gun groups including Everytown for Gun Safety, where Bloomberg is the co-chair.
The NRA went as far as creating a viral meme claiming that Levi Strauss is turning its back on its customers who support the Second Amendment. The organization posted the image on its Facebook page.
Is Levi Strauss attacking the Second Amendment?
While it is true that the clothing manufacturer has partnered with the Everytown for Gun Safety group, which was founded by Bloomberg, and has vowed to donate more than $1 million to gun control advocacy groups, the company is not directly targeting its customers who support the Second Amendment, nor is it attacking gun rights in the ways that the NRA and conservative news sites are claiming.
Snopes.com notes that Fortune magazine published an op-ed column by Levi & Strauss CEO Chip Bergh where he explains why companies that don’t make or sell guns should take a stand on gun violence. In the column Bergh explicitly says that he is not against the Second Amendment and notes that he was in the U.S. Army and fully supports the Constitution.
“I’m not here to suggest we repeal the Second Amendment or to suggest that gun owners aren’t responsible,” he wrote. “In fact, as a former U.S. Army officer, I took a solemn oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States.”
In a blog post, the clothing brand highlights its intention to put an end to gun violence in America and does not mention anything about attacking the NRA or the Second Amendment.
