NRA and Florida face backlash after the latest school shooting
NEW YORK — The National Rifle Association, and now the state of Florida, faced a growing backlash Saturday as companies cut ties to the gun industry following the latest school massacre, and student survivors called for tourism boycotts of their home state until gun control measures are enacted.
The latest companies to end their ties with the NRA were Delta and United Airlines, two of the three largest U.S.-based airlines.
Corporate ties to the NRA aren’t the only elements undergoing scrutiny in the wake of the Valentine’s Day shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., where police said 17 people were killed by a 19-year-old former student who entered a freshman building and began firing an AR 15 assaultstyle rifle. Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel said he’s investigating claims that some Coral Springs police officers saw several deputies outside the building after the shooting began.
On Thursday, Scot Peterson, the school’s resource officer, resigned under fire from the Broward Sheriff’s Office for failing to enter the building. The sheriff told news outlets he will investigate the claims that other deputies didn’t enter the building.
On Saturday, both Delta and United said Saturday they will no longer offer discounted fares to NRA members to attend their annual meetings, and both have asked the gun rights group to remove any references to their companies from the NRA website.
A growing number of large companies have announced they are cutting or reducing ties with the NRA. Rental car company Hertz will no longer offer a discount program to NRA members and First National Bank of Omaha said it will not renew a co-branded credit card it has with the NRA. Most of these companies do promotional tie-ins with groups to spur customer loyalty to NRA members, and do not receive money directly from the NRA.
The moves have come as petitions circulated online targeting companies offering discounts to NRA members on its website. #BoycottNRA was trending on Twitter.
In an email Saturday, the NRA called the companies’ actions “a shameful display of political and civic cowardice” and said the loss of corporate discounts and other perks “will neither scare nor distract” NRA members.”
“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,” the NRA statement said.
The State of Florida was also facing a potential boycott and backlash as well. One teen survivor of the Florida school shooting suggested on Twitter on Saturday morning that tourists stay away from the state during spring break; he got immediate response on social media.
“Let’s make a deal,” David Hogg, a Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School student who has been a major player in the #neveragain movement, tweeted. “DO NOT come to Florida for spring break unless gun legislation is passed.”