Brands are cutting ties with the NRA after student-led campaign
Companies are cutting ties with the National Rifle Association after Parkland students and gun control activists called for an end to their support.
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The hashtag #BoycottNRA topped Twitter's trends in the United States on Friday as a cybersecurity firm, six car rental companies, an insurance corporation, and a bank ended their partnerships with the NRA.
Companies like Enterprise Rent-A-Car and MetLife previously offered discounts to NRA members, but have now terminated those programs. Although the companies didn't acknowledge #BoycottNRA in their announcements or take a stance on gun control, many did cite social media backlash as a reason to end their partnerships.
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A spokesperson from the First National Bank of Omaha told the New York Times that "customer feedback" was a leading cause for the company to not renew their NRA Visa Card program.
First National Bank of Omaha was one of the first companies to terminate their affiliation with the NRA.
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In only a few hours, several more companies reportedly jumped ship, including Hertz and Norton.
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The move away from the NRA comes after the deadly massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, on Feb. 14. Grieving students who survived the shooting have become passionate advocates for tighter gun control laws, and are leading the effort to end NRA-affiliated discounts.
David Hogg, one of the Parkland students, asked FedEx why it hasn't cut ties with the organization yet.
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Amazon is also under pressure to end its relationship with the NRA. The e-commerce giant's streaming service carries NRATV, a show that recently published a controversial video claiming that "the mainstream media loves mass shootings."
The hashtag #StopNRAmazon is picking up steam on Twitter, as once loyal customers threaten to cancel their Prime memberships.
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Amazon and the NRA did not immediately respond to requests for comment. NRA spokesperson Dana Loesch, who faced Parkland survivors during CNN's town hall on Wednesday, has not released a statement about #BoycottNRA.
Two more major brands responded on Saturday morning. Both Delta Airlines and United Airlines issued statements noting that they'll be ending their group travel arrangements with the NRA.
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Faced with a continuing exodus of corporate support, the NRA released a statement on Saturday afternoon. Here it is in full:
The more than five million law-abiding members of the National Rifle Association have enjoyed discounts and cost-saving programs from many American corporations that have partnered with the NRA to expand member benefits.
Since the tragedy in Parkland, Florida, a number of companies have decided to sever their relationship with the NRA, in an effort to punish our members who are doctors, farmers, law enforcement officers, fire fighters, nurses, shop owners and school teachers that live in every American community. We are men and women who represent every American ethnic group, every one of the world’s religions and every form of political commitment.
The law-abiding members of the NRA had nothing at all to do with the failure of that school’s security preparedness, the failure of America’s mental health system, the failure of the National Instant Check System or the cruel failures of both federal and local law enforcement.
Despite that, some corporations have decided to punish NRA membership in a shameful display of political and civic cowardice. In time, these brands will be replaced by others who recognize that patriotism and determined commitment to Constitutional freedoms are characteristics of a marketplace they very much want to serve.
Let it be absolutely clear. The loss of a discount will neither scare nor distract one single NRA member from our mission to stand and defend the individual freedoms that have always made America the greatest nation in the world.
UPDATED Feb. 23, 9:02 p.m. EST with companies ending relationships with the NRA.
UPDATED Feb. 24, 11:20 a.m. EST with tweets from Delta and United.
UPDATED Feb. 24, 5:48 p.m EST with the NRA's official statement.
Adam Rosenberg contributed reporting to this story.
