NEW YORK (AP) – As the gun debate heats up following the massacre at a Florida high school, companies are under growing pressure to pick a side: whether to stand by the National Rifle Association or walk away.
Metlife, Delta and more than a dozen others have decided to end benefits deals offered to the organization’s members. Others, including FedEx, are staying put. The decision to stay or go for many companies involves walking a fine line that can impact their image for better or worse.
“How well can they position themselves so that they’re being viewed as honest and supportive of what is a national crisis and not walking away from the Second Amendment?,” said Robert Passikoff, president of Brand Keys, a consumer research firm.
The calls for boycotts have been cutting both ways, with gun rights and gun-control supporters threatening to take their dollars elsewhere, depending on a company’s decision.
FedEx is the latest company to respond to consumer pressure, saying it will maintain its discount for NRA members and supports the right to own firearms, but does not believe civilians should own assault rifles.