In an announcement this morning, May 14, Square, Inc. – the new and growing mobile credit card processing platform – announced that it will no longer allow transactions related to firearms or ammunition. A bold move for a company that likely sees significant business from the fair and festival world.
This post is not about guns or gun control – that is not the point. What is highlighted here is a corporate decision where ethics (whether you agree with their ethics or not) prevailed over capitalism. Many would say an occurrence as rare as yours truly saying something positive about the LSU Tigers.
Square is Building Good. This is an example of a corporate entity helping good succeed.
Square isn’t saying that gun transactions are illegal or that guns are being acquired with the intent to do harm – the statement they are making is that in the world of guns and ammunition the potential for harm or improper use COULD exist. And if the potential for misuse exists – they are choosing not to be a part of it.
It doesn’t appear they are trying to stop gun and ammunition transactions entirely or tell people that they shouldn’t but they are electing to remove themselves from the equation. They do not want to be the conduit for illegal activity or ill intent.
Debate gun control if you wish. My intention was to call attention to corporate entity that wants to ensure its product is used for good and good alone.