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PR people talk a good game when in comes to ESG matters with one glaring exception: gun control.
The profession is mostly a no-show on the “CEOs For Gun Safety” letter urging the Senate to take immediate action on gun safety legislation.
More than 220 CEOs signed the letter that calls gun violence an epidemic that represents a public health crisis that continues to devastate communities, especially Black and Brown ones.
It states: “On top of the human toll is a profound economic impact. At a time when our economy is struggling to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, gun violence costs American taxpayers, employers and communities a staggering $280 billion per year. Employers lose $1.4 million every day in productivity and revenue, and costs associated with victims of gun violence.
Only ten members of the PR community put their names on the letter.
Here’s the honor roll: Mark Read (WPP), Richard Edelman (Edelman), Garbrielle Zucker/Aaron Kwittken (KWT Global), Donna LaVoie (LaVoieHealthScience), Jess Fiaschette (Outside PR); Michael Kempner (MikeWorldWide), Melissa Waggener Zorkin (WE Communications), Mallory Blair (Small Girls PR) and Andrew Bleeker (Bully Pulpit Interactive).
Thanks for taking a stand. Your colleagues should follow your lead.
The frightful specter of Donald Trump hovers over the war in Ukraine. That’s why some European leaders are calling for negotiations to end the conflict, said Ed Carr, deputy editor-in-chief at The Economist at a June 10 webinar sponsored by the British magazine.
Time is running out.
They know the Ukraine/Russian war is not going to end in “total defeat” like that of Adolf Hitlier in WWII.
The mentality is “sooner of later the war is going to end so Ukraine should strike its best deal as soon as possible,” said Carr.
The Europeans fear that the return of Trump to the White House would result in the US withdrawing its support for Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky.
Though France has supplied sophisticated Caesar self-propelled artillery systems in Ukraine, its president Emmanuel Macron is in frequent phone contact with Vladimir Putin
Macron has warned his western allies about the dangers of humiliating Putin with a military defeat.
“He doesn’t want to rile Putin up” because he could escalate the conflict, said Carr.
There’s also fear of a revitalized Russia.
Once Putin, who views himself as the reincarnation of Peter the Great, rebuilds and restocks Russia’s military during the next couple of years, he will pose a serious threat to Europe.
A Trump presidency with its “America First” policy dramatically increases that Russian menace.
Carr said Putin, like Trump, believes his own lies.
Russia’s leader is not interested in the “truth.” He creates his own reality, believing in whatever he says at the moment.
"Power and assertiveness trump truth,” said Carr.
Don’t grovel, Joe. Six powerful Democratic leaders have provided talking points to president Joe Biden, who feels it’s necessary to visit Saudi Arabia next month to convince the Kingdom's defacto leader Mohammed bin Salman to ramp up oil production.
Their letter to Biden says Saudi Arabia’s failure to stabilize global energy markets is bankrolling Vladimir Putin’s war crimes in Ukraine while inflicting economic pain on everyday Americans.
They want the Saudis to end their support for the war in Yeman and end the arbitrary detention of human rights activists.
The Committee Chairpersons Adam Schiff, Bennie Thompson Carolyn Maloney, Adam Smith, Gregory Meeks and Stephen Lynch also demand accountability—in line with established global legal standards—for the murder of Washington Post contributor Jamal Khashoggi.
Since US intelligence agencies held MBS responsible for the murder and dismemberment of Khashoggi, that’s a big ask for Joe.
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