San Francisco/United States – -(AmmoLand.com)- The announcement by the business software company Salesforce that it will no longer allow federally licensed firearms dealers to sell AR-15s or other modern multi-purpose semi-automatic firearms ought to be a wake-up call for all Second Amendment supporters. The threat to our Second Amendment rights from corporate titans just got illustrated very simply, and shows why the fight for our freedoms is now a full-spectrum conflict that we have been ill-prepared to fight.
Now, in some ways, we should have seen this coming, given that the company’s CEO called for a ban on AR-15s after Parkland via Twitter. But even he acknowledged the AR-15 is the “most popular rifle in America” in that very tweet. A look at Justice Department statistics shows that rifles of ALL types are used less often in homicides than people’s bare hands and feet, and that banning the AR-15 is really just an irrational punishment of millions of people who never shot up a church, school, concert, movie theater, or other public venues. However, that is another topic.
The threat posed by the Salesforce announcement is potentially existential. Businesses need specialized software to operate in today’s economy, where online sales can be as important as those from a brick-and-mortar store. Even then, the brick-and-mortar store’s cash registers are now, for all intents and purposes, computers. This is why any federally licensed firearms dealer using Salesforce software is in a bind.
First of all, the software is expensive. It also takes time to learn how to use it effectively. Many FFLs, who are in essence small businesses, are now forced into a difficult choice. They can knuckle under to the demands of a billionaire CEO to accept an anti-Second Amendment policy and avoid a costly switchover in software, or they can switch over the software at a huge expense.
The former choice risks alienating law-abiding gun owners who wish to purchase perfectly legal products. The latter choice could make it harder for the FFL to stay in business. And anti-Second Amendment extremists score a victory against our rights – without any accountability from the public. This doesn’t even just apply to FFLs, as there are people who sell gun parts or magazines – neither of which require FFLs to sell under federal law.
That is if FFLs don’t try to sue the $120 billion software titan for restraint of trade, but even that becomes a very risky undertaking. Salesforce is a huge company with access to a bevy of lawyers. You can also bet that Michael Bloomberg and other anti-Second Amendment extremists would line up high-powered pro bono help and will seek to tie the case up for years before it even goes to trial, racking up massive legal bills.
In other words, to fight for their right to sell perfectly legal firearms to law-abiding citizens, FFLs would have to risk being bankrupted by legal bills. Especially if Salesforce tries to extract legal fees from those FFLs who dare challenge them on their duplicity.
In essence, Salesforce has done a bait-and-switch on these FFLs. They presented themselves as a company that would be open to all comers in terms of helping a small business grow. Now, they have pulled the rug out from under many small businesses who took the company at its word. This is something any Second Amendment supporter who owns a business should keep in mind.
Those who own businesses or who are starting them can have a particular impact in this case. Contact Salesforce and register your objections in a polite and firm manner. Make it very clear that their anti-Second Amendment policy is not only unfair but raises questions as to whether the company would pull the rug out from under you. Then contact your local chamber of commerce and urge them to pass a resolution condemning these duplicitous business moves by Salesforce.
The corporate gun control threat is now very real. If you don’t believe me, just ask your local FFL.
About Harold Hutchison
Writer Harold Hutchison has more than a dozen years of experience covering military affairs, international events, U.S. politics and Second Amendment issues. Harold was consulting senior editor at Soldier of Fortune magazine and is the author of the novel Strike Group Reagan. He has also written for the Daily Caller, National Review, Patriot Post, Strategypage.com, and other national websites.
Strike back. Dump Salesforce(CRM) stock!
So, a small business cannot refuse to make a cake for a customer that offends the moral standards of the owner, but a large company can refuse to do business with a customer because it offends the political standards of the CEO.
If I remember correctly, SCOTUS actually ruled in favor of the baker.
Alternatives to Salesforce:
https://selecthub.com/customer-relationship-management/salesforce-alternatives/
Here is a list of 971 companies that use Salesforce. Vote with your wallet.
https://www.featuredcustomers.com/vendor/salesforce/customers
After reading this list I can only stand by my original comment. Either fall in line or find an alternative. No single or several FFL’s are not going to put this guy out of business.
Two firearms related from the list I saw unless under a parent co. name were 5.11 and Stiner,I may have missed some,one that stood out was the Obowelmovement/Biden campaign.
“urge them to pass a resolution condemning these duplicitous business moves by Salesforce.”
Once again Harold, you always fall short of taking Action, screw a “resolution condemning” how about you pass a law preventing them from doing this? Why not Harold? Tell us why not fight to win rather then losing “respectfully”.
Anyone who is in business should know that things change and the owner has to keep up with what is best for his business. That is why the owner is paid the big bucks for being there and working after everyone else has gone home and working whenever the cause arises. You can’t be an 8 to 5 manager and expect to succeed. Therefore, it is up to the business owner to either suck it up and go along with these little hitlers or do what they have to do to keep their business successful. If it was me, I… Read more »
The 1960s are calling. They want your attitude back. I. Am tell you after 40 years in software migrating a business model over to new business software is not trivial. Training and support costs alone are onerous. And nobody goes back to paper once their business is sufficiently automated. And small business owners aren’t always making the big bucks. You reall don’t have a clue about business, do you?
If the 2nd A gave government any authority guns would have been controlled from the very beginning!..Regulate means adjust to a particular standard, rate, amount, degree etc…Theres no reason to beleive of the ten Amendments that protect us from government, that one gives government authority to control us!
As used the comma in the 2nd has the same implication upon the meaning as using the word “Despite” to begin the first clause.
Another form of corporate collusion and selling a bill of goods which wasn’t as advertised…I think that is called fraud!
The fusion of corporate power with state power is the definition of Fascism. So says Benito Mussolini.
With all that has been put into place over the years corporatists have been buying the politicians for years! Insurance companies lobbied for seatbelt laws, corporate pharmaceuticals lobbying for drugs laws and rules, it’s the rich people who are willing to screw over the people and try to impose their will and wants on people because they can afford to and can afford lawyers and armed guards to protect them!! Bloomberg doesn’t want anyone to have guns has spent millions to get everyone else’s rights taken away at the same time being protected by armed guards!!! Rich hypocrites that don’t… Read more »
Dump Salesforce and go with another… When enough dealers dump them, THEY will feel the loss… Salesforce is obviously owned/operated by “bully” ASSHOLES ! Maybe publish a list of dealers that use Salesforce, so WE THE PEOPLE can use dealers not controlled by these dickbags.
@Rock, I know several FFLs that do not use software at all. I buy a new firearm at a gunshot, and the paperwork is all … paper. The system was set up prior to software. Software is a mere convenience.
If the choice is spend a lot for software that “… takes time to learn effectively…” or just use the old system until FFL specific software becomes available, then just use paper.
There is some young, smart computer programer out there at this very minute, hating his job and low wages, and looking for opportunity.
@ Wild Bill
“There is some young, smart computer programer out there at this very minute, hating his job and low wages, and looking for opportunity.”
Howdy Bill
That sounds like a opportunity waiting for some entrepreneur,gee that reminds me of what built America and made it great.
@GMB, Good to hear from you. Yep, and no gut wrenching, lawyer enriching, time gobbling, law suits involved.
This seems ripe for a class action lawsuit by the FFLs against Salesforce. After all, this extreme “no AR-15” clause wasn’t in the terms of service when the software was installed. It also seems it should be ripe for government intervention. AR-15’s or not, this is one business attempting to dictate to its customers what product it can or cannot sell, in a non-negotiable fashion. It sounds like a breech of fair trade, with flavors of monopoly control. I hope gun owners have friends in Washington who see how wrong this is, not only to gun owners but to business… Read more »
@Harold Hutchison
Where’s the link to Benioff’s Tweet, so I can tell him to f$%k off directly, and go with a competitor?
Their developer platform sucks anyway.
That sounds like the thing to do at this juncture. Challenge his Twitter post. Make Him sound like the idiot he is.
Just search Twitter his name ,I found it quickly.
Shame on every Gun Owner who votes Democrat.
You mean there is no code writer out there that can’t write there
own program at a descent price? So we can tell Saleforce to
shove it up there Ass.
There are many cheaper alternatives to Salesforce. And many of them are far better and simpler to use. Salesforces main feature is it’s all cloud based but others have caught up.
Once again the mighty NRA remains silent.
Haha crazy gun idiots. If you’d stop pushing your zero tolerance for any guns laws mentally you’d not be in this position.
Yeah, we would. We tried “compromise.” We’ve been trying it for almost 100 years now. That in quotes because in a real compromise, both sides give something and / or both sides get something. What you got were many steps along the road to banning. What we got was … well, nothing, really, since the only direction from “full rights” is “less than full rights.” So, no. I’m sick of “wanting a conversation.” I’m sick of “why can’t we compromise.” Your side doesn’t bargain in good faith, and it’s never enough. It’s like trying to bribe a petulant child with… Read more »
You’re right of course, we have zero tolerance for more gun control laws that only affect the law abiding. As it’s been mentioned here there’s better software out there and this guys services should be dropped too. BTW The dude should keep running his mouth about discriminating against a product gun owners want some more. I’m sure people will be buying their new AR’s because of this guys B.S.
Common, the “crazy gun idiots” are the ones that want laws that do not affect criminal acts, and only seek to infringe on, and make more onerous and costly, legal firearm ownership, ala Jim Crow. Apparently he is still alive and well in the Democratic party, even though Democrats vehemently insist he is not, theie proposed bills and laws prove otherwise.