Politics
NRA defends itself after corporations pull away

A cap and shirt are displayed at the booth for the National Rifle Association (NRA) at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) at National Harbor, Md., Feb. 23, 2018.
(Reuters)
The National Rifle Association defended itself in no uncertain terms Saturday after numerous companies sought to cut ties with the gun lobby following the nation’s latest mass shooting.
“Let it be absolutely clear,” the organization said in a statement. “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.”
The statement came two days after Wayne LaPierre, the NRA’s executive vice president, delivered a fiery speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Maryland.
The NRA, which represents about 5 million members, has faced public outcry following a mass shooting Feb. 14 in Parkland, Fla., that killed 17 people. That outcry has mostly taken the form of calls for gun control legislation and for boycotts of companies that partner with the NRA on discount offers and other consumer inducements.
On Saturday, United and Delta Airlines joined the list of companies separating themselves from the gun group. Previous companies to do so include MetLife, Symantec and rental car companies Hertz, Budget, Avis and Enterprise.
Those moves prompted Saturday’s response from the NRA, which asserted that those corporations had “decided to punish NRA membership in a shameful display of political and civic cowardice.”
NRA BACKLASH: THESE ARE THE COMPANIES CUTTING TIES
The NRA’s statement argued that other factors besides gun ownership were to blame for events like the Parkland massacre.
“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,” its statement said.
However, the Washington Post reported that the NRA fought the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act, which mandated federal background checks on firearm purchasers, suing the federal government once the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) was up and running. The NRA had argued that the entire law, including the NICS provision, be struck down as unconstitutional, the report said.
Politics
Liz Truss pips Rishi Sunak in poll to find best future PM – 'She gets the job done!'
LIZ TRUSS has beaten Rishi Sunak in a survey on which of the two senior Cabinet figures would make the best future Prime Minister.
Source link
Politics
Commonwealth Brexit bonanza: UK eyes £3.2bn Caribbean trade links with 14 nations
BREXIT Britain is set to boost trade with its Commonwealth allies in the Caribbean and build on lucrative agreements worth billions of pounds.
Source link
Politics
Arlene Foster demands alternative to Northern Ireland protocol in swipe at Boris Johnson
ARLENE FOSTER has called for the “disastrous” Northern Ireland Protocol to be dismantled after branding it “absolutely devastating” for Northern Ireland.
Source link
-
Politics6 days ago
Matt Hancock to address nation on worrying Brazil variant – major Commons address today
-
Latest News1 day ago
Queen pictured at Windsor ahead of Commonwealth Day address celebrating the union | UK News
-
Politics1 week ago
Mind your language! Experts urge Brussels to create new 'Euro-English' for post-Brexit EU
-
Politics3 days ago
EU's own data shames Italy's Draghi after demanding Brussels block AstraZeneca shipment
-
Latest News5 days ago
COVID-19: Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines ‘highly effective’ at preventing hospital admissions in over-80s, study finds | UK News
-
Latest News6 days ago
Alexei Navalny: ‘Psychological torture and self-isolation’ inside Putin critic’s Russian prison | World News
-
World4 days ago
Murban futures aim to consolidate UAE position as global oil power
-
Politics4 days ago
March 4 Capitol attack rumors highlight dangers of far-right extremism’s military ties