NRA Statement on Corporate Partnerships:

"FAIRFAX, VA – The more than five million law-abiding members of the National Rifle Association have enjoyed discounts and cost-saving programs from many American corporations that have partnered with the NRA to expand member benefits.

Since the tragedy in Parkland, Florida, a number of companies have decided to sever their relationshipwith the NRA, in an effort to punish our members who are doctors, farmers, law enforcement officers, fire fighters, nurses, shop owners and school teachers that live in every American community. We are men and women who represent every American ethnic group, every one of the world’s religions and every form of political commitment.

The law-abiding members of the NRA had nothing at all to do with the failure of that school’s security preparedness, the failure of America’s mental health system, the failure of the National Instant Check System or the cruel failures of both federal and local law enforcement.

Despite that, some corporations have decided to punish NRA membership in a shameful display of political and civic cowardice. 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.

Let it be absolutely clear. The loss of a discount will neither scare nor distract one single NRA member from our mission to stand and defend the individual freedoms that have always made America the greatest nation in the world."

https://www.nraila.org/article...rporate-partnerships

quote:

Originally posted by Ackks:
Add Delta and United the list.

Another reason to avoid United and their shitty services. I already avoid them like the plague.

These companies will lose more business over this than they'll gain. And it serves them right. Nobody joins or quits the NRA because of these so-called discounts, which most of us can get anyway from AAA or other memberships, so this will have zero financial impact on the NRA. If anything it will drive more donations, but we will remember the companies that spit in our faces.

Let your US Congressmen and Senators know you oppose any gun control measures that would impact law abiding gun owners.

https://act.nraila.org/takeaction.aspx?AlertID=1901

We're going to be flying come May or so. Delta essentially "owns" the closest airport to me.

We will be going elsewhere.

Who knows of a rental car company that hasn’t cut off NRA members? I need one next month in Pennsylvania.

quote:

Originally posted by sigmonkey:
USPS Money orders will get a huge bump in use, should these financial asshats start monkeying with the ability of folks to buy things.

You gotta pay a fee for them things (USPS money orders). I keep seeing signs on Amscot stores, offering no-cost money orders. I have not tried them, since I have good checking account service with my local credit union. I'm guessing that this credit union is not anti-gun, since the sign on the door asks me not to wear sunglasses, hats, or motorcycle helmets, but does not mention guns.

"It's very possible that you are an investor in the major gunmakers."

The horror, the horror.

Complete article:

https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/n...-guns-213600810.html

Your retirement account might be invested in guns. Changing that isn't easy

Annie Nova CNBC February 23, 2018

Perhaps you've recently wondered if your money is in gun stocks, and if you can or should take it out. Warning: The answer is complicated.

It's very possible that you are an investor in the major gunmakers .

An analysis by the nonprofit advocacy group Goodbye Gun Stocks found that 35 percent of U.S. stock mutual funds contain investments in a maker or retailer of guns and ammunition.

You can check to see if your investment fund is "gun-free," or how much of your money goes to guns, on their website. Vanguard also offers its investors a way to screen funds for specific holdings.

Concerned investors can also ask their financial advisor for a breakdown of exactly where their money is flowing.

Rick Rodgers, director at Innovest Portfolio Solutions, says investors often assume their financial advisors have screened investments for certain companies the investor might find problematic, when in fact they haven't. Better communication is needed, he said.

"Describe what you wish not to invest in," Rodgers said. "Have the advisor present evidence that they've done the screening."

Yet experts say divestment isn't necessarily the best route if, say, you would like to see more gun controls put in place.

Jamie Cox of Harris Financial Group, which manages $500 million for about 800 middle-class families, recommends what might seem a counter-intuitive approach: Don't sell your shares.

"You're better to band together and become a bigger fraction of ownership," Cox said.

He pointed to recent news that BlackRock, the world's largest asset manager and one of the biggest shareholders of gunmakers, announced on Thursday it will speak to gunmakers about society's expectations as mass shootings have become disturbingly common.

"If they're managing money on behalf of millions of Americans and they accumulate a large position in company X, they can influence decision making within the corporation," Cox said.

He added, "Just because you sell the stock doesn't mean the company doesn't continue to operate. The better way is to come up with rules."

Ian Lanoff, a Washington, D.C.-based lawyer who advises state pension funds on their fiduciary responsibilities, said the divestment of pension funds in the tobacco industry 15 years ago had little impact.

"I didn't see any evidence that tobacco companies cared at all," Lanoff said "I've heard investment experts say to my boards, other people will just buy the stock if you sell it."

For investors looking at retirement accounts, divestment may leave them with few (or no) options. Many index funds that track the market don't leave room for specification. And your company might not provide a 401(k) option that is "gun-free."

Rather than focus on weeding out certain companies, experts say it can be easier to focus on finding businesses you support via so-called ESG investing — which looks for companies with good track records on environmental, social and governance factors. This opens up more possibilities.

"ESG funds most likely won't own stocks in gun manufacturers and defense contractors," said Aaron Pottichen, president of retirement services for CLS Partners in Austin, who has seen more clients looking for such investments.

Indeed, investors now consider "environmental," "social" and "governance" factors across $8.72 trillion in professionally managed assets — a 33 percent climb from 2014. Rodgers said his research shows that 60 percent of millennials want their investments screened for these factors, compared with just 29 percent of baby boomers.

You can check if your company offers the option for you to self-direct your 401(k) account into an ESG fund. If so, you can veer away form the standard options and move, "into the wild west with hundreds of investment options available to you."

The downside, Pottichen said, is that you could be taking more risks since you're not in an investing plan endorsed by the company.

If you can't self-direct your account, and none of the 401(k) choices are "gun-free," Rodgers recommends people go to their human resources department and ask who oversees the retirement accounts.

Sometimes it will be an investment committee, and sometimes it will be just one person. Either way, you can ask for them to provide a socially responsible investing option. Usually when a company adds such an option, Rodgers said, it's because employees have requested it.

There needs to be backlash for those companies who backlash.

These loons, despite repeated demonstrations that what they do has this effect, still haven't figured out that the more they do of this the harder becomes our stance, the more powerful becomes the NRA, and the more guns and ammo gets put on the street.

How can they possibly be so flipping myopic?

quote:

A New York Times columnist floated the idea of having banks and credit card companies cut business ties with retailers that sell assault weapons and accessories

Yea go ahead and tell Walmart they cant use VISA anymore. See how that plays out for ya.

quote:

How can they possibly be so flipping myopic?

They give myopes a bad name. For the record, I like myopes (and hyperopes and presbyopes)

With help (plagiarism) from some of Balze's message and the NRA release, here is what I have sent out this morning. Sent to 12 companies and verifying 6 others to ensure they did in fact announce severing ties to the NRA.

Company X

I’m writing to voice my disappointment in your decision to acquiesce to anarchists and leftist agitators by succumbing to threats and intimidation by disassociating yourself with the NRA. I am a proud life member of the NRA because I value freedom and the rights recognized in our US Constitution and the Bill of Rights — the bedrocks of what make me an American. The NRA is an organization full of men and women just like me, law abiding Americans who love this country and all the things that make us free as individuals. We are doctors, engineers, farmers, law enforcement officers, fire fighters, military members, nurses, shop owners and school teachers that live in every American community. We are men and women who represent every American ethnic group, every one of the world’s religions and every form of political commitment.

The law-abiding members of the NRA had nothing at all to do with the failure of that school’s security preparedness, the failure of America’s mental health system, the failure of the National Instant Check System or the cruel failures of both federal and local law enforcement that stood by and did nothing. Your decision to turn your back on us tells me that you have bought into the lies and misinformation perpetuated by the media and those who are feeding them these lies.

The irony of all this, the sick individuals committing these unspeakable crimes are not even NRA members. So in effect, your unhinged, knee jerk reactions really do nothing to address the real issue. You seek to punish law abiding citizen and not those responsible.

I implore you to rethink your position and not shun the good men and women who make up the NRA by cowering to people who despise individual freedom and the means by which to keep it. Your decision to disrespect millions of Americans who have absolutely nothing at all to do with criminals who perform heinous acts upon mankind has me earnestly rethinking that loyalty. When you turn your back on the NRA, you are turning your back on me personally.

I hope my words to you have adequately expressed my feelings, and that you will give them honest consideration. Honesty, after all, is something that is sorely lacking in our society; a fact that is blatantly evident when we see this type of illogical reaction to those whose only credibility is that they can scream the loudest.

Make no mistake, as long as this is your position, I can and will live quite comfortable without your product and will not purchase anything associated to your company and product. There are more than 100 million legal gun owners in the United States and more than 5 million NRA members. This is the size of the potential customer base you have mobilized against you.

Regards,
End of message

------------------

#Support The NRA

Do they really want to pick a financial war with gun owners?

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:

quote:

Originally posted by sigmonkey:
USPS Money orders will get a huge bump in use, should these financial asshats start monkeying with the ability of folks to buy things.

You gotta pay a fee for them things (USPS money orders). I keep seeing signs on Amscot stores, offering no-cost money orders. I have not tried them, since I have good checking account service with my local credit union. I'm guessing that this credit union is not anti-gun, since the sign on the door asks me not to wear sunglasses, hats, or motorcycle helmets, but does not mention guns.

And don't forget about the personal bill pay/transfer services such as PopMoney that are available to you through your on-line banking services. They're dirt cheap (a buck or so per transaction), easy to use, and very responsive and reliable.

I've got a Skymiles card with Delta.

They've just ensured that my tax return will clear the balance on that card, and that it will go in a drawer until such time as I can milk every last dollar value from the points I've earned on it in airfare.

I remember when BoA decided this was a good idea. As memory serves, they stopped, some time ago.

so much hypocrisy...so few morals

Wendy has had the NRA card for 20 years and just cut it up today. She will be calling customer service for the card. It will not go well for the CS person on the other end. Myself, I will make sure that I keep a list of those companies that have removed the NRA membership from their discount programs. I nor shall my company spend a penny with them. I hope this goes for all members of this Forum and all the other firearms forums in the country. We may not put them out of business but we'll hurt their bottom line. Chris

If Youtube bans gun videos, why not start up “Ourtube” and run what we want?