US airlines United Continental Holdings Inc (NYSE:UAL) and Delta Air Lines are the latest companies to have severed ties with the National Rifle Association in the wake of last week’s mass shooting at a Florida high school.
United and Delta join First National Bank of Omaha, car rental giant Enterprise and insurer MetLife, which have also recently announced they are dropping partnership programs with the NRA.
United is notifying the NRA that we will no longer offer a discounted rate to their annual meeting and we are asking that the NRA remove our information from their website.
— United Airlines (@united) February 24, 2018
Delta is reaching out to the NRA to let them know we will be ending their contract for discounted rates through our group travel program. We will be requesting that the NRA remove our information from their website.
— Delta (@Delta) February 24, 2018
Amazon subject to Twitter campaign
Last week, the website ThinkProgress named 22 major companies involved in corporate partnerships with the pro-gun lobby.
Some of those businesses - which generally offer discounts and other perks to NRA members - have since cut links, while activists have redoubled efforts to convince the remaining companies to follow suit.
Amazon.com Inc (NASDAQ:AMZN) is one of those facing calls to stop doing business with the NRA, and a Twitter campaign has been set up urging customers to rethink purchases from the e-commerce giant due to its association with NRA TV.
Contact Amazon support in <2 seconds to show your disapproval of them hosting NRA TV using this special link below. #BoycottNRA
I'm not joking—all you have to do it click it. I did all the hard work for you:https://t.co/2atkHG80dl.
— William "Cancel Amazon Prime" LeGate (@williamlegate) February 23, 2018
The calls follow the backlash over last weekend’s mass shooting which left 17 people dead at a high school in Parkland, Florida.
The atrocity has reopened the debate over guns, with dozens of teenage survivors and anti-gun protesters demanding greater gun control measures.
Buffett not getting involved
It’s a sensitive topic though: a large slice of the electorate wants to see gun laws overhauled, while other Americans are digging in on the basis of constitutional preservation.
One of those not getting involved is Warren Buffett and his Berkshire Hathaway Inc (NYSE:BRK.A) investment vehicle.
The billionaire said he currently does not have a stake in any gun makers, but added that business leaders should be careful not to impose their personal views on their organizations.
“I don't believe in imposing my views on 370,000 employees and a million shareholders. I'm not their nanny on that,” the Oracle of Omaha told CNBC.
"People individually should very much express their views. I don't think that Berkshire should say we're not going to do business with people who own guns. I think that would be ridiculous.”