We are only two months into 2018 and there have already been 30 mass shootings.  Last week on February 14th, 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz gunned down seventeen students and staff at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.  The government has failed us.  Members of Congress have responded after each mass shooting with thoughts and prayers and no action.  Our current president, Donald J. Trump, blames the FBI and their investigation of the Russians for this tragedy.  He is not the leader we can count on to bring sensible gun law changes to the United States.  

Enough is enough!  

Policy has failed us.  We have failed our children.  We the people must take this into our own hands and stop the senseless killings however we can.  We are calling on American citizens to use our collective economic power to put an end to mass shootings and demand sensible gun laws that protect our citizens and children.

The NRA spent $30 million during the 2016 election to oppose Secretary Clinton and support Donald Trump.  The NRA also gave $27 million to 50 senators to oppose a bill on universal background check.  (Source: LA Times) In comparison, our collective pension holdings in the US amount to 22.5 trillion in 2016, yes, trillion with a T.  Who do you think can speak louder and finally affect some change: the NRA’s $57 million or the American people’s collective $22 TRILLION?

The top 10 largest public pension asset owners in the country are: (as of year end 2016.  Source: Willis Towers Watson)

Federal Retirement Thrift         $485 billion

California Public Employees         $306 billion

California State Teachers         $194 billion

New York State Common         $184 billion

New York City Retirement         $171 billion

Florida State Board             $154 billion

Texas Teachers             $133 billion

New York State Teachers        $107 billion

Wisconsin Investment Board        $101 billion

North Carolina                $99 billion

We collectively demand our pension fund managers to withhold investments in privately-held or publicly traded gun manufacturers until sensible gun control laws are passed in Congress.

If you have a 401(k), pension fund or other retirement fund, demand your fund managers not to invest in privately-held or publicly traded gun manufacturers until sensible gun control laws pass in Congress.

The top 10 gun manufacturers in the US are : (source: Mother Jones, Josh Harkinson)

Sturm Ruger

Remington Outdoor

Smith & Wesson

Glock

Sig Sauer

O.F. Mossberg & Sons

Savage

Springfield Armory

Beretta

Taurus International

We call on the major shareholders of the two publicly traded companies from the above list, Sturm Rugers (RGR) and Smith & Wesson (AOBC), to immediately divest their holdings in these companies.  These shareholders are: (source: finance.yahoo.com)

In Rugers (RGR) :

Fund Manager                % shares        $ amount as of 12/30/17

Blackrock Inc.                16.92%        165,408,994

Vanguard Group, Inc.             9.52%            93,108,999

Capital World Investors        8.55%            83,602,910

London Company of Virginia        7.78%            76,019,761

Voya Investment Management LLC    4.46%            43,602,265

Dimensional Fund Advisors LP    3.71%            36,272,968

Invesco Ltd.                3.28%            32,060,027

State Street Corporation        2.45%            23,991,613

Deprince, Race & Zollo, Inc.        2.21%            21,653,757

Balyasny Asset Management, LP    2.04%            19,972,777

In Smith & Wesson as part of American Outdoor Brands Corp. (AOBC)

Fund Manager                % shares        $ amount as of 12/30/17

Blackrock Inc.                11.11%            77,745,079

Invesco Ltd.                8.98%            62,819,113

Vanguard Group, Inc.             8.33%            58,293,742

Lsv Asset Management        3.97%            27,785,898

Dimensional Fund Advisors LP    3.19%            22,301,405

Voya Investment Management LLC    3.06%            21,410,684

Credit Suisse                2.93%            20,475,004

Luminus Management, LLC        2.35%            16,461,959

State Street Corporation        1.90%            13,288,484

Citadel Advisors LLC            1.83%            12,836,671

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Update:

Vista Outdoors (VSTO) is another publicly traded company that manufactures a wide range out outdoor products including Savage guns, Federal Premium and American Eagle ammunition.  In addition it manufactures some commonly used products by our children, including Bolle snow goggles, Camelbak water bottles, Raskullz, Giro and Krash helmets.  Please see here for a complete list of their brands.  https://vistaoutdoor.com/brands/  Please boycott all these products and user alternatives whenever possible. 

Here are the top institutional shareholders of VSTO:

FMR, LLC    14.95%    126,495,755
Blackrock Inc.    12.73%  107,713,197
Vanguard Group, Inc. (The)    9.12%    77,172,764
First Eagle Investment Management, LLC    8.09%    68,499,862
Dimensional Fund Advisors LP    8.04%    68,072,796
Gates Capital Management, Inc.    6.73%    56,942,575
Frontier Capital Management Company LLC    5.24%    44,327,852
HBK Investments, L.P.    3.21%    27,208,584
State Street Corporation    2.52%    21,339,270
Walthausen & Company LLC    2.10%    17,793,254

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We the American people do not support having our hard-earned dollars saved for retirement used to invest in companies that manufacture semi-automatic weapons and sell them to individuals without proper background check, training and licensing.  We do not want our retirement money tainted with the blood of our neighbors and our children!  #NeverAgain