In the recent months, specifically following the Parkland, Florida shooting, many major corporations and businesses have been cutting ties with the National Rifle Association. The National Rifle Association, NRA for short, is one of the largest interest groups in the United States with tens and thousands of members who most all believe strongly in the second amendment. Members range from those who believe in the second amendment with multiple guns, hunters and outdoorsmen, and even some who do not own any guns but still believe in our right. The NRA is classified as a business interest group. To become a member you must pay dues for one, two, three, and or even five years.
Given the large amount of members and it being one of the largest interest groups, the NRA does hold a large amount of power in our government today. They can be seen as an evil group who may have too much power over our elected officials. After each mass shooting, especially and sadly school shootings, the NRA is always under fire as a group that "enables murderers" and one that "doesn't focus on our children." The way that our society has now chosen to show and make a stand that this group may have too much power is by cutting ties with the NRA. Over 22 companies have now cut ties with the NRA. Some of these companies include: Walmart, L.L. Bean, REI, Avis Rental Cars, Hertz, and many more. One of the most recent company that has allegedly cut ties with the NRA is an Austin local company, YETI Coolers. Yeti has responded to the news of cutting ties as "inaccurate." However, the huge backlash from Yeti enthusiasts can be one of the reasons for their response. Many have created hashtags such as #Boycottyeti and have stated their new support for similar companies such as Rtic Coolers and Orca Coolers. Both Rtic and Orca released statements to their markets that they both support the second amendment and will stand with the NRA. As well as not conforming to public pressure to do what the public wants them to do as a company.
Ultimately, the companies are making a stand in what their corporate believes in. But mostly taking advantage of the awful attacks in our country as a way of gaining a possible larger target market and a different market then they had before cutting ties. The businesses should stay to how they were before and keeping their ties with others. They should not make irrational decisions just because of the public pushing their views on big corporations. Many companies want to see themselves as trying to make a difference but in reality they are just trying to gain their business in times of a tragedy.
1 comment:
Dear Julie,
While I understand what you’re saying with companies taking advantage of big attacks in our country, I do not believe these companies are doing it for marketing advantages. The United States has an awful gun control problem, which I have talked about in a recent blog post! The United States actually ranks at 31st for the highest rate of gun violence in the world, and has about 38,000 deaths per year due it. What’s extremely upsetting, besides that, is the fact that the NRA and its representatives want to keep everything the same when there’s actually a severe problem.
While this nationwide gun control problem is, in fact, a problem, the NRA argues that everything’s fine! The NRA will blame everything and anything besides the guns, and it’s clear in every argument they make. Always suggesting that the solution to gun violence is more guns when in reality it’s stricter laws because the second amendment is outdated. The second amendment is so outdated that it doesn’t cover things like machine guns, the AR-15, landmines, dirty bombs, flame-throwers, tanks, biological & chemical weapons, etc.. The NRA cares about the money, and a really good read with all the numbers is in this article: Political Data. The NRA actually feeds off of mass shootings by lobbying for arming individuals (especially teachers), when in reality that would just be more money for them as well as more guns in schools.
Back to what you’re saying, I wouldn’t say these companies are doing it for a larger market when the NRA is literally killing thousands of children and adults by not allowing gun control. At the end of the day, it’s about how these companies are providing a ton of money to the NRA, and the companies no longer wanting to be apart of supporting mass murders and violence. Is it necessarily irrational to want to cut ties with a corporation that’s supporting mass gun violence?
I’d love to talk about this further, but I’d keep going because this is something I’m very passionate about. I understand where you’re coming from and I don’t believe all guns are bad, but with the current state that America is in, the second amendment isn’t cutting it anymore. The NRA is too powerful now with millions of members, and gun violence will never go away with more guns like they suggest. With these companies cutting ties with the NRA it is the first steps into a better gun regulation, not a gun prohibition.
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