Members lose discounts
Members lose longtime discounts
A social media backlash is leading some companies to end partnerships with the National Rifle Association.
A social media backlash is leading some companies to end longstanding partnerships with the National Rifle Association after the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting that killed 17 students and staff members on Feb. 14.
Many businesses including FedEx, Hertz, Avis and LifeLock offer discounts to 5 million NRA members, but an angry outpouring on Facebook and Twitter under the trending hashtag #BoycottNRA has resulted in a host of companies distancing themselves from the gun rights organization as a polarizing debate rages on gun control.
On Thursday, First National Bank of Omaha said it would no longer offer the NRA-branded Visa credit card after receiving a torrent of customer complaints, the company announced on Twitter.
“Customer feedback has caused us to review our relationship with the NRA,” the bank posted on Twitter.
The company, the largest privately owned bank in the United States, has not made any other public statements and declined to offer any other information on Twitter.
Enterprise Rent-A-Car — whose parent company Enterprise Holdings also operates Alamo and National rental car companies — also made a Twitter announcement late Thursday that it was ending discounts to NRA members, effective March 26.
The list continues to grow. On Friday, MetLife, Hertz and Symantec, which operates LifeLock and Norton cybersecurity products, also cut ties in Twitter posts. And insurer Chubb said it will stop underwriting NRA insurance for gun owners, according to Reuters.
“We value all our customers but have decided to end our discount program with the NRA,” MetLife said in a tweet.
On Wednesday, NRA spokeswoman Dana Loesch participated in a CNN town hall at the BB&T Center in Sunrise, and she was among those jeered and booed by the crowd.
The next day, Loesch and NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre appeared at the Conservative Political Action Conference, an annual gathering that draws thousands of politically conservative activists in Maryland.
“Many in legacy media love mass shootings,” Loesch said in a speech to a standing ovation. “I’m not saying you love the tragedy, but you love the ratings. Crying white mothers are ratings gold.”