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We had submissions from three Soylentils with different takes on the NRA (National Rifle Association) and the public response in the wake of an attack at a Parkland, Florida high school.
Public Outcry Convinces National Companies to Cut Ties with NRA
Common Dreams reports:
In the latest sign that the aftermath of the Parkland, Florida tragedy may be playing out differently than the fallout from other mass shootings, several national companies have cut ties with the National Rifle Association (NRA).
[Car rental companies] Alamo, Enterprise, and National--all owned by Enterprise Holdings--announced late on [February 22] that they would end discounts for the NRA's five million members. Symantec, the security software giant that owns Lifelock and Norton, ended its discount program on Friday as well.
The First National Bank of Omaha also said it would stop issuing its NRA-branded Visa credit cards, emblazoned with the group's logo and called "the Official Credit Card of the NRA". The institution is the largest privately-held bank in the U.S., with locations in Nebraska, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, and South Dakota.
Additional coverage on TheHill, MarketWatch, Independent and Politico.
The NRA Just Awarded FCC Chair Ajit Pai With a Gun for His 'Courage'
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai joined the pack at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on Friday alongside fellow Republican commissioners Michael O'Rielly and Brendan Carr—the architects of the recent order repealing net neutrality protections passed in the Obama era.
Upon taking the stage, it was announced that Pai was receiving an award from the National Rifle Association: a handmade Kentucky long gun and plaque known as the "Charlton Heston Courage Under Fire Award."
https://gizmodo.com/the-nra-just-awarded-fcc-chair-ajit-pai-with-a-gun-for-1823273450
These Companies are Sticking by the NRA
Fallout continues from the mass murder in Florida. The National Rifle Association is taking it up the wazoo. A national boycott is emerging. If you are old enough, you will remember that this is what brought down Apartheid in South Africa.
From the Huffington Post:
In what may be a pivotal moment for American gun law reform, the National Rifle Association has become the object of intense pushback from anti-gun activists and survivors of last week's mass shooting at a Florida high school that left 17 dead.
All the attention prompted the gun-rights group to break from its usual strategy of keeping quiet after mass gun deaths. NRA officials have gone on the attack to rail against the "politicization" of a tragedy, and going so far as to suggest that members of the media "love mass shootings" because of the ratings they supposedly bring.
The uproar has once again presented companies affiliated with the NRA, and its powerful pro-gun lobby, with a question: to cut ties, or to continue a relationship with a large but controversial group?
The NRA partners with dozens of businesses to spread its pro-gun message and provide discounts to its members, who number 5 million, according to the group. But this week, some companies have begun to jump ship.
Facing pressure from consumers, the First National Bank of Omaha said Thursday it would stop issuing NRA-branded Visa credit cards after its contract with the group expires. Enterprise Holdings, which operates the rental car brands Enterprise, National and Alamo, says it will end its discount program for NRA members next month, along with Avis and Budget. Hertz is out, too.
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Monday February 26 2018, @04:47AM
A couple of years ago I was a civilian participant in a simulated training exercise with the Air Force; the exercise lasted about two weeks. During the exercise we trained and lived like military personnel, including each of us being issued a semi-automatic rifle. We only ever used blanks during the entire time of the exercise. However, they wanted us to get into the habit of treating our weapons as if they were loaded with live rounds. Whenever we entered an enclosed space, we first had to step up to the "pit"--a little space enclosed by sandbags with sand in it--to make a weapon check. We had to check that the chamber of our weapon was clear and that of our buddy to our left and then make sure the switch on our weapon was set to "safety". Well, one time I was sure that there was nothing in the chamber of my weapon and the safety was set. I almost decided to forgo the check. Bad idea. Really bad idea, in fact. It turns out that not only was there a round in the chamber but the switch was set to "semi-auto". Oops. Now, in my case, no one was ever in any danger; as I said, we were using blanks the entire time. However, I have no doubt that had my weapon discharged inside the tent that I would have been sent to see the Colonel for an embarrassing chat about how this all happened. And, it's not that I was being intentionally careless. Honestly, I was trying to be careful with that rifle. I really was. Why am I telling you this? Well, first, you are correct that anyone dumb enough to have a round in the chamber and the safety off deserves to be shot while adjusting their holster. But I also want to note that it is all too easy, in a moment's inattention, to make a mistake that can have potentially tragic consequences. While I was proud to do my part by participating in a training exercise, I am so thankful that in my day-to-day activities I don't have to carry around a weapon with me everywhere I go. Having a weapon in your possession is like having to care for a toddler that is carrying a hand grenade around with them! I also came away with the impression that the vast majority of the people in the USA who own guns probably should not even be allowed to own anything with more fire power than a pee shooter. (No, I don't think I am any more or less careful with potentially hazardous equipment than any other person; I'm probably about average.) Just sayin'.