Gun control used to be one of those hot political buttons that no savvy corporate manager would take on without good reason, and it looks like those reasons have finally become apparent in the wake of the Parkland, Florida school shootings. Rather than simply advocating for stronger gun control laws, several leading, mainstream US retailers have taken the law into their own hands. Specifically, some established their own minimum age limit for purchasing guns in their stores, and others are also banning certain types of guns.

These measures are relatively mild but they are at least consistent with the common sense restrictions that gun control advocates have long demanded from state and federal legislators. With elected leaders failing to lead on gun control, corporate leaders are willing to step in and fill the gap.

With Parkland, retailers are beginning to realize that the vacuum of political leadership on gun control has exposed them to a high level of risk, especially where teenage killers with high powered weapons are involved.

That’s especially clear in the case of Dick’s Sporting Goods. The company seems to have hit its brick-and-morter retail stride and has recently been adding stores at a time when many companies are shrinking, Dick’s has much at stake if a school shooting can be traced to its stores.

Read the full article about corporate social responsibility and gun control by Tina Casey at TriplePundit.