In the aftermath of the Florida school shooting, Delta Airlines has ended a discount partnership with the National Rifle Association. Now, the NRA is fighting mad and exacting revenge against the airlines in an attempt to send a public message: DON’T MESS WITH OUR GUNS!
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As most businesses do with various clubs and groups, Delta Airlines provided a small discount to members of the NRA. To date, the airline says only 13 members have ever taken advantage of the discount. Still, that info didn’t dissuade the NRA from sounding the alarm among all the GOP politicians it has in its back pocket to punish Delta into submission.
The initial blow came late last week from the Georgia state legislature, when predominately Republican lawmakers stripped Delta Airlines of a $40 million dollar sales tax exemption break it had previously provided to one of the state’s largest employers.
Earlier in the week, Georgia’s Republican Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle issued a stern warning to Delta Airlines and ANY company that was even contemplating an end of normal relations with the NRA or those who value guns.
“I will kill any tax legislation that benefits Delta unless the company changes its position and fully reinstates its relationship with NRA. Corporations cannot attack conservatives and expect us not to fight back,” Casey tweeted.
The warning from Casey and the position being taken by the NRA shows the organization is battle trained and fixing for a fight. They have made it crystal clear from their announced positions following the Florida school shooting, the Sandy Hook school shooting, and every other mass shooting in the US that they simply don’t care if teens or kindergarteners or anyone is killed in mass numbers — they value their guns over human life.
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The NRA has already played it hand. They intend to go with the narrative that mass shootings are the cause of “mental illness” and not America’s sick obsession with military grade rifles. They are prepared to fight to the death that they have a right to own guns and that their right to own a weapon Trumps (pun intended) your right to life or even a child’s right to go to school and return home alive.
Speaking of Trump, “The Donald” originally pronounced that perhaps the Florida shooting was a sign it might be time to make changes to our gun laws. However, after an hour-long meeting with leaders of the NRA, Donny was somehow brainwashed into a completely opposite opinion.
Only hours after the meeting, NRA Executive Director Chris Cox ecstatically tweeted: “I had a great meeting tonight with [Trump] and [Pence]. We all want safe schools, mental health reform and to keep guns away from dangerous people. POTUS & VPOTUS support the Second Amendment, support strong due process and don’t want gun control.”
Hmmm…
Either the NRA threatened Trump and Pence to make life a living hell for them via their control of Republican congressional members from every state, or they offered him 30 million ($$$) reasons to abruptly change his position and to cease any talk of gun control.
Despite bully tactics from the NRA, Delta Airlines is not backing down from removing itself from the gun debate.
“We are in the process of a review to end group discounts for any group of a politically divisive nature,” Delta CEO Ed Bastian said.
“Our decision was not made for economic gain and our values are not for sale. This decision followed the NRA’s controversial statements after the recent school shootings in Florida. Our discounted travel benefit for NRA members could be seen as Delta implicitly endorsing the NRA. That is not the case.”
“Our objective in removing any implied affiliation with the NRA was to remove Delta from this debate,” Bastian added. “None of this changes the fact that our home is Atlanta and we are proud and honored to locate our headquarters here. And we are supporters of the 2nd Amendment, just as we embrace the entire Constitution of the United States.”
With the NRA showing its mettle by flexing its strength, what will it take to achieve real gun reform in the US? Will more children have to die, or will their lives never matter to the “I have a right to own my guns” crowd? Could the moves by Delta Airlines prompt other companies to follow suit and put a bit of pressure on the NRA — or does it even matter?
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“With the NRA showing its mettle by flexing its strength, what will it take to achieve real gun reform in the US?” Young people, coming of adult age who are ready and willing to fight to save themselves and the lives of their future children. “Will more children have to die, or will their lives never matter to the “I have a right to own my guns” crowd?” Sorrowfully, Yes, more children will have to die -and God only knows how many more times before this madness ends. All across this nation, adults continue to FAIL to protect our most precious gift – Our children. And now many -if not most- of our children know that they cannot depend on Us. “Could the moves by Delta Airlines prompt other companies to follow suit and put a bit of pressure on the NRA — or does it even matter?” Frankly, I… Read more »