On Tuesday evening, Bob Iger, CEO of The Walt Disney Company, was honored in New York City at the Sandy Hook Promise Benefit for his strong support of gun control, creating safer communities for America’s children, and the organization’s Start with Hello initiative, which works to combat social isolation.
The benefit was a 10-Year Remembrance of the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy and a celebration of the life-saving impact of the “Know the Signs” violence prevention programs and policies. He was joined by Former President Barack Obama and actor Matthew McConaughey.
During his remarks, Iger said that preventing shootings before they happen “should be among our highest priorities.” He went on to say that “as a grandfather, as a father, as CEO of The Walt Disney Company, I believe there is no greater or more important task than ensuring the safety and well-being of our children.”
The Hollywood Reporter stated that regarding gun control, Iger added, “Those of us who are in positions to affect change, whether it’s by influencing laws of shaping culture or supporting organizations on the frontlines, I think we have an extra responsibility.”
The Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting occurred on December 14, 2012, in Newtown, Connecticut. At the time, Barack Obama was President of the United States.
It was only a couple of weeks ago, days before Thanksgiving, that Bob Iger returned as CEO at The Walt Disney Company.
Safety and security have always been a priority for every Disney park. One of the top reasons why families trust Disney is because they believe Disney creates a safe environment.
As the world changes, Disney has to change with it. To that end, in the past few years, they have installed metal detectors at their parks worldwide.
In 2020, metal detectors and x-ray machines were installed at Tokyo DisneySea, as part of the Oriental Land Company’s plan to increase security at the resort. Its two U.S. resorts, Walt Disney World and Disneyland, saw metal detectors installed as far back as 2015 after a man tried to enter the Magic Kingdom with a gun. It was also at this time that Disney announced that it will no longer sell toy guns in its parks and that guests ages 14 and older will no longer be permitted to wear costumes.
Between 2020 and 2021, Disney introduced contactless security scanners at both U.S. parks.
Even with all these security and preventative measures, it still has not deterred some guests from trying to bring guns into the parks. Recently, a man was observed roaming the Magic Kingdom parking lot as he tried to gain entry into more than a dozen vehicles. When he was confronted by law enforcement, it was discovered he had a loaded gun in his possession.
This past June, a guest set off metal detectors and was arrested for trying to bring a 40 caliber Smith & Wesson handgun, a magazine, and 13 rounds in his backpack.
The same month, another guest was arrested at Disney Springs as he attempted to bring a gun, two magazines, and 48 rounds of ammunition into the shopping district.
These are but a few of the incidents that have occurred at Disney Parks in the last couple of years.
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Source: The Hollywood Reporter
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