In the wake of the Florida school shooting, the voices of teenage survivors from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School have sparked a wave of resistance to the NRA, and its refusal to de-escalate assault weapon sales in America. As a result, many American businesses have realized that they have to take a stand to cut ties with the NRA or face the appearance of “silence equals consent” – enabling the NRA.
In the case of FedEx, they seem to have taken the baffling stance that if they don’t remain silent and continue offering NRA member discounts they would be discriminating.
On the one hand:
“[…]FedEx believes urgent action is required at the local, state, and Federal level to protect schools and students from incidents such as the horrific tragedy in Florida on February 14th.”
On the other hand:
“[…] FedEx has never set or changed rates for any of our millions of customers around the world in response to their politics, beliefs or positions on issues.”
FedEx said it would continue its discount program because it “does not and will not deny service or discriminate against any legal entity regardless of their policy positions or political views.”
FedEx responds to questions on the National Rifle Association, gun safety and policy https://t.co/qYgmbyQ5jk pic.twitter.com/02q1hD2Q9s
— FedEx (@FedEx) February 26, 2018
So, in other words, it might be said like this:
“Yes, we acknowledge gun control legislation is urgent, but we’ve never taken a political stand on an issue before so why start now.”
That conservative stance of doing nothing just may backfire.
ThinkProgress editor and founder, Judd Legum, put it this way:
“This statement makes no sense. FedEx is charging businesses that are members of the NRA lower rates than non-members. Now it’s saying charging NRA members the same as everyone else would be discrimination,” tweeted Legum.
FedEx may not want to take a stand, but many other American companies are. Those include:
- The First National Bank of Omaha: will stop issuing an NRA-branded Visa card
- Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Alamo Rent a Car, National Car Rental, Hertz, Avis, Budget Rent a Car: stopped or will stop offering NRA membership discounts
- TrueCar: ending deal with NRA on February 28
- Symantec: stopped discount program with the NRA
- MetLife: will stop offering NRA member discounts for home and auto insurance policies
- SimpliSafe: discontinued relationship with NRA
- Allied, North American: stopped affiliate relationship with the NRA
- Delta Airlines: ending discounted rates for NRA members
- United Airlines: no more discounts for NRA on flights to an NRA annual meeting
- Paramount RX: discontinuing a prescription drug discount program with the NRA
This should send a really strong message. Did you hear this, NRA?
“Starkey, a company that makes hearing aids, announced Saturday evening that it has decided “not to renew our discount program with the NRA” and asked the organization to “remove our information from their website.”
If you didn’t hear that, then how about this student from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School?
Sell FedEx stock! If they wanna stick with NRA we'll stick with @usps or @UPS
— David Hogg (@davidhogg111) February 26, 2018
FedEx already sees ramifications for their stance. Gun control activists are calling for a boycott and an ice cream company, Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream, announced it would consider cutting ties with FedEx.
See Jeni’s no-nonsense comments below:
Meanwhile, Twitter trolls were out trying to defend FedEx, claiming:
“So much for the Democrat boycott: The value of .@FedEx rose by over $640,000,000 yesterday.”
A quick Google search shows another picture today, which is sure to see ups and downs in the days to come. The price for being the carrier of choice for gun fanatics?
- Screenshot via Google
In a statement, the National Rifle Association called the decisions from companies dropping their discounts for NRA members:
“…A shameful display of political and civic cowardice.”
You know, projecting their shameful display of political and civic cowardice onto those attempting to stop the ongoing mass shootings in America’s schools without throwing more guns at the problem.
If the momentum from these Parkland students continues at this astounding pace, more American companies will either choose to cut ties with the NRA or suffer their own consequences for doing nothing.
Featured image: Dylan Ashe and Gage Skidmore via Wikimedia Commons/CC-By-SA-2.0.
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