
In a move further illustrating sports leagues’ isolation from entertainment and expansion into politics, organizations such as the National Football League (NFL), Major League Baseball (MLB) and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) recently signed a letter asking Congress to reauthorize multiple gun control measures.
Did you know that all of your favorite sports leagues sent a letter to Congress in support of gun control?
Yup, earlier this year the @NFL, @NHL, @NBA @MLB @MLS and even @NASCAR sent a letter in support of the Undetectable Firearms Act.😡 pic.twitter.com/4YrOEoJHPo
— Gun Owners of America (@GunOwners) February 9, 2024
In January 2024, executives from the sports organizations sent a letter to lawmakers in the House and Senate, demanding they pass measures restricting the use of firearms.
The letter, revealed by the Gun Owners of America organization in a ZeroHedge op-ed, did not include the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) as one of the anti-gun companies.
The letter was addressed to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY).
Those who signed off on the letter asked for the Undetectable Firearms Act to be reimplemented. The law was initially passed in 1988 and makes it illegal for importers, manufacturers or dealers without a license to possess a firearm that cannot be detected by a metal detector or “x-ray machines commonly used at airports.”
Under the law, an individual cannot possess a firearm that “does not generate an image that accurately depicts the shape of the component.”
“We write to express our strong support for reauthorization of the Undetectable Firearms Act (UFA), which is set to expire on February 2, 2024,” the sports executives wrote.
“The UFA has helped keep Americans safe in public spaces that utilize metal detection to prevent the admittance of firearms, including at the thousands of events that our organizations host each year,” they added.
“The safety of the millions of fans, participants, and other personnel who attend our events is our top priority. Our organizations work in close coordination with federal, state, and local law enforcement and rely on advanced security procedures, including metal detector screening, to ensure the safety of our events,” they continued.
Referencing the UFA, the sports executives said that if the law is not reimplemented, their ability to prohibit firearms from entering their venues would be hindered. They pointed out that the measure has been reauthorized three times since it was enacted.