Gun reform activists just claimed another major victory over the National Rifle Association, convincing both of the group’s key airline partners to drop substantial travel discounts.
In the early hours of February 24th, Delta Airlines dumped the NRA, quickly followed by United Airlines just two hours later as both canceled a promotion that fuels attendance at the annual NRA convention, which is planned for Dallas on the weekend of May 4-6.
Last week, the former interim Mayor of Dallas publicly warned the NRA to move their 147th convention, or face mass demonstrations targeting the estimated 80,000 people expected to attend.
Delta’s flight discount program cancellation is a hammer blow for NRA members because of the whopping $200 discount on all categories of tickets to bring more people to their convention.
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
As of this moment 3 hours after Delta’s tweet, the NRA still has Delta’s discount codes listed on their website, and the codes still work for pricing purposes.
But United Airlines chimed in two hours later on Twitter and have already killed their NRA discount travel link.
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
The NRA hasn’t removed either of the airlines’ promotions from their website, yet.
In the Trump-era, online economic boycotts have become the weapon of choice for pacifists with problems with right-wing groups like the NRA and the disinformation peddlers who poison public debate by parroting their lies.
First, a sweeping boycott led by Media Matters knocked Fox News sex predator Bill O’Reilly off his perch as Rupert Murdoch’s top paid propaganda host.
Boycotts against the NRA’s sponsors, affiliates and partners are being led by progressive news outlet ThinkProgress and have swiftly knocked out the NRA’s major bank sponsorship with its lucrative credit card program and fifteen other sponsors.
The NRA’s influence comes from their communications networks and their lobbyists, but primarily from the massive amounts of cash, which they can pour into any political race at a moment’s notice.
Boycotts let voters follow the money, and by cutting off cash flow to the right-wing propagandists who that have brainwashed Republicans into obeisance, there’s a finally chance to tip the playing field in this year’s mid-term Congressional elections towards pro-gun reform candidates.
Here is a list of the numerous brands rushing to dump the NRA:
UPDATED: The NRA is being supported by these companies
That's a lot of red lines.
15 brands have severed ties.https://t.co/yHIk29GUF0 pic.twitter.com/gn5sEZAlgO
— Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) February 23, 2018