On February 26, CNN Money published an article detailing a list of companies who have cut ties with the National Rifle Association (NRA). Just a few of the companies include: Hertz, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines and MetLife.
This comes from the recent school shooting that occurred on February 14 at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Survivors of the shooting, members of the community, and many people across the United States are calling for assault rifles to be banned. This a big step forward for these companies, because that means losing a large sponsor. However, many people are wondering if this will really enact the change that many hope for.
Source: Delta Air Lines on Twitter
According to the Washington Post, the NRA released a statement saying that this is “a shameful display of political and civic cowardice.” They also said, “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.”
The fact of the matter is that the NRA makes a lot of money, and they partner with hundreds of companies and corporations. Companies and corporations not exclusive to the Republican party. The #BoycottNRA movement is really an argument on big corporations’ influence in civilian life. The NRA may seem like the biggest enemy at this time, because you can clearly see the ramifications of their policies and support in society right now.
Source: The Resistance on Twitter
However, there are so many other big corporations that do a similar thing, such as the housing market, the healthcare industry, credit card companies, and the student loan industry. Sure, they have other goals and missions, but in the end, they want money. The NRA knows that there is a segment of the American population who associate guns with American freedom and patriotism. Based on the concept of capitalism, if there’s a need for something in society, someone should come along and fulfill that need for a price.
So will it be enough that companies disassociate themselves from the NRA? Probably not. In order to spark real change within the NRA, there would have to be a change in the big corporation culture. Maybe if we considered changing the hashtag from #BoycottNRA to #BoycottCorporateGreed, we could truly tackle the heart of the problem.
Source: The Green CPA