“This letter in no way reflects any derogatory reasons for such action on your behalf. But rather one of industry. Unfortunately your company’s line of business is not commensurate with the industries we work with.” – BankUnited manager Ricardo Garcia quoted in BankUnited Discriminates Against Gun Dealers, Local Store Owners Claim [at miaminewtimes.com]
Bank who?
Yup. Never heard of it.
Sue them for discrimination.
After all if bakers can’t discriminate when choosing who to bake for why should bankers be able to get away with this kinda crap when choosing their customers.
because choosing not to do business with an “industry” is not discrimination. these folks need to be hit where it hurts, in their pocket books.
So, if I refuse to business with one Latino it’s discrimination, but if I refuse to business with any Latino it’s ok?
Latino is not an industry, is it?
The beautiful part about logic is that it always applies.
It is a beautiful thing. If only the courts (and the legal system in general) followed it 100% of the time.
Being Latino is what someone is, not what they do. There’s a difference.
I think one could argue the Latino is a brand. Same with African American, white, etc. People make lots of money branding race and culture.
Discriminating against one person based on what they do for a living is absolutely as arbitrary as discriminating against another based on the color of their skin.
Bakers can absolutley pick and choose who they bake for. Discrimination is completly legal until its based on religion, race, gender, etc. Should a mechanic HAVE to fix the car of a drunk driver that killed his/her child in a hit and run just because thats where the drunk chose to have the vehicle repaired?
That’s his point. Some bakers are being cracked down on for declining to bake cakes for so-called same sex weddings. That discrimination is a supposed crime in some places. The point they’re making here is questioning why it’s verboten to discriminate on the basis of some Constitutionally recognized statuses, such as race, religion, sexual deviation, I mean, orientation, and others, while discrimination based on Second Amendment rights is allowed or even encouraged.
That which empowers the central (no longer Federal) government and weakens the individual is “good” and therefore mandatory (to the extent the leftists can make it stick). That which limits the central government and empowers the individual is “bad” and therefore forbidden (to the extent the leftists can make it stick). Simple, but it explains much of what has been going on in the USA for the last 100 years or so.
http://denver.cbslocal.com/2013/12/06/judge-orders-colorado-cake-maker-to-serve-gay-couples/
And then there was the one in New Mexico, where the judge frankly acknowledged that he was ordering someone to go against their deepest, most sincerely held religious beliefs–but said that’s OK, it was merely “the price of citizenship”.
What’s all the hub bub…bub?
Move the account and billing for the company credit cards/credit line. Stop whining and find another bank. This is all part of running any business, a problem arises and you fix it and move on with making money. Why would you want to do business with a bank that doesn’t want your business?
Individuals and business are free to choose who they bank with and the banks can choose to not do business with certain industries. Although the bank is making a bad business decision, it is their choice. The political/emotional decision by the bank will have 0% effect on the firearms industry but it will decrease the banks bottom line.
There will always be plenty of banking choices. Why get angry? Emotions have to be checked at the door when you run a business, large or small.
“The political/emotional decision by the bank will have 0% effect on the firearms industry”
Unless it gets to a point where no bank banks with a firearms related business. It may not have to reach “no bank” but only a critical mass of large banks. It’s a little problem now, but sometimes these sorts of things snowball.
Unless there becomes some regulatory pressure involved that drives banking business away from that firearms industry. And that is, to my mind, a much more immediate concern.
Your comment is a good one, but slippery slopes DO exist.
I agree with Craig. I’m ok with discrimination and discrimination should be ok. If they don’t want to serve you or do business with you, why give them your money? Why get upset? I’m glad this bank decided to post a huge neon sign that says “we don’t like the gun industry.” That way, I know exactly who to avoid and to take my business elsewhere. If they don’t want us or the steady revenue from gun businesses, this will hurt nobody but them. I’m fine with this. Let them discriminate. The more open they are about this the better.
This is the best/only reason to give this any thought at all. I’d like to know if these dogwaste people are around me and what businesses I need to boycott and tell them why, “move your banking business”.
Given BankUnited’s rather checkered history, I don’t know why any gun shop would want to do business with them.
As they say, sunlight is the best disinfectant when it comes to stuff like this. Publicize their prejudices far and wide.
Unfortunately most of “far and wide” is read by people who will tout this as progress toward keeping guns out of the hands of children.
Weasel words from weasel-brained marketing people never cease to amaze me. Take for example the use of the word “unfortunately” Fortunate is a reference to the goddess Fortuna, the personification of luck or random chance.
This policy and its implications are not a consequence of random luck. It was deliberate. Once the policy was made, the merchant account was going to get cancelled. The only issue was that of time and how it would be announced.
It looks like the Bank is almost ashamed of what they did. In fact, it smells of being pressured by some outside group. Just shameful lack of spine.
“Bank who?” is right. BankUnited is the 64th largest banking company in the U.S., just edging out First National Bank of Omaha for that spot. Even an outfit called Susquehanna Bank, never heard of them, either, has about $4 billion more in assets than BankUnited. There are too many other options out there these days to put up with this nonsense.
If you’re looking for a 2A friendly bank, however, check out Chappell Hill Bank just northwest of Houston, TX. Unpretentious and unflinching, they actually welcome licensed concealed carriers to stop by and do business.
If you want a large, national bank, there’s Wells Fargo. Some may have stories here and there about WF. However, it’s where the NRA banks. So that’s something.
I have a few of those stories, but as is often the case, I was not completely faultless in the sequence of events. It could have been handled better on their part, but…
It kind of makes me want to forgive them after hearing this, like maybe they deserve some respect after all.
Freedom is a two way street. Banks SHOULD be able to choose who they do business with.
I agree, Banks SHOULD be able to choose who they do business with, and so should gun owners. Stories like this help us all choose.
I just wish we could all get along. The list of places I can actually do business with keeps getting shorter and shorter.
@anon and @pascal
Same here. If they want to discriminate against gun owners or anybody else, let them. They should be free to do so. This sort of behavior hurts nobody but them and their pockets. Now everybody who disagrees with them is free to take their business elsewhere.
In a word, Yup! Just like bakers….
I hate NY. Not the people. I won’t watch CNN anymore. I wonder how CNN will dig themselves out of the hole NY has put the in. We watch BBC.
So you won’t watch a news station that is surely influenced by the US government on how they frame stories, but you will watch a news channel that is entirely owned by another government? Looks to me like you really aren’t getting any real news at all, at least from either of them.
While The BBC is owned by the Government they are not controlled by them. Saying that The BBC are influenced and are biased just like any media outlet. They are liberal but they do not have US Government control. They do give different view of world events.
Store do discriminate in NC. a few stores will have no concealed/weapon signs up. A few years ago it was No Colored, or Irish.
Fewer stores are posted now. Wholefoods, Kroger used to be posted. The only ones I have seen lately are Kay Jewels and a couple of Thrift stores
how many banks world wide deal in human trafficking and illegal arms unbeknownst to them. or known.
“This letter in no way reflects any derogatory reasons for such action on your behalf. But rather we are just scared children.”
Corrected
Banks are a boarder line criminal enterprise.
Forget about the small business loan, start saving your money to fund the business venture yourself.
Don’t make those hucksters rich. Bankers are just loansharks in a tie.
You can download and read any bank’s quarterly balance sheet and income statement from the FDIC web site. Like any corporation, they exist to enhance shareholder value. If you have a problem with the idea of banks making profits, consider joining a credit union.
Ah, at least in the US credit unions do make profits. They just use those profits to reduce costs to their members. If you want your money helping the local economy use a credit union. If you don’t care about your local economy or it’s people use a bank.
I only use credit unions.
I do business with a dozen different banks on a regular basis. I much prefer to deal with local banks, rather than than the huge institutions.
Even a small local bank with assets under $100 million could certainly meet the needs of a local gun shop and its online transactions. Local banks tend to have values that reflect the communities they serve, and they often have rates and fee structures that better fit small business customers.
Good luck to Mr. Liberti. This really shouldn’t be too hard.
The article alleges that the bank gave them three days to close their checking account. That seems pretty extreme, considering how long it can take for checks to clear. If this is accurate then some of Mr. Liberti’s checks will bounce and he will suffer the expense, inconvenience and injury to his reputation because of it.
Can they do that? Probably. But I sure wouldn’t do business with a bank that treats its customers that way.
Put them out of business. Read the online article. No Bank United business. Publicize on every gun blog or site.
Proper syntax.
They doesn’t has it.
If a gay couple can force a business to bake a cake, then I think it’s only fair that a gun store can force a bank to give them loans, and lines of credit.
The problem is, it’s not fair that someone, gay or otherwise, can force a baker to bake them a cake.
Boy oh boy, I’m sure I’m not giving them my two cents. Seriously, I don’t do business with shit heads. Not worth a bother, I am down the road to the other bank that barrows government money, oops is that my money too? What the F _ _ _ K, no win situation.
Check different credit unions. Tend to have better service. They have lines of credit, credit cards, etc. same as big banks. Treat people like people, not like just an account number.
I’m a big fan of credit unions but the vast majority of them are strictly consumer-oriented. Only the largest credit unions offer a full slate of services for business customers. Most credit unions also have a limited field of membership based on geography or employee groups. Sadly, there are many areas of the country where few if any community credit unions exist.
Yep Use the Navy Federal Credit Union (NFCU) guess who they serve. Honestly though when I first joined it was Navy/Marine Corps and their families now they have opened up to other services (Army, AF and Coast Guard) and their families.
Navy Federal has over $58 billion in assets and last time I checked they were the largest credit union in the US, by far.
Something I’ve been noticing since going to mostly online banking. When you use a card at an LGS, their account which shows up on your statement is beer associated with firearms or sporting goods. I’ve seen a few show up as “toys” which admittedly isn’t entirely inaccurate, but it goes to show how they have to weasel around to avoid this bullshit.
never. not beer.
also “their account COMMA which shows up on your statement COMMA is…”
While you may not be able to sue to force them to serve you as a customer, there may be a claim here for defamation or libel based on what they are saying about the business/industry. They are effectively comparing the firearms industry to things like drug running, prostitution, etc., and if that comparison is not justified, there may be a claim.
A bank limiting its clientele? So I guess gun owners should close their accounts too. Other than having guns, gun owners and gun sellers have a few things in common; one being MONEY, as in, having some. Good luck staying in business.
Lol, BankUnited.. Bought my house from those guys.. well, er.. the FDIC … who was liquidating them a few years back..
They aren’t really very good at banking anyway, based on their record..
WTH is a teeny-tiny Florida bank doing writing three “owner occupied” (federally insured!) loans to the same guy on the same day..(in Arizona no less!) how many houses can one person live in as “primary residences”?
Buuuut.. no one ever went to jail..
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