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FedEx sticks with NRA, says it would be discrimination not to give gun lobby special discounts

"FedEx has never set or changed rates for any of our millions of customers around the world in response to their politics, beliefs or positions on issues."

A convention attendee looks at rifles at the 2018 Shooting, Hunting, Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show in Las Vegas, Nevada.  CREDIT: Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images
A convention attendee looks at rifles at the 2018 Shooting, Hunting, Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show in Las Vegas, Nevada. CREDIT: Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images

FedEx, the national courier delivery service, declined to cut ties with the National Rifle Association (NRA) Monday in the wake of the Parkland, Florida shooting two weeks ago, which left 17 people dead.

FedEx has been one of a number of companies around the U.S. facing criticism for supporting the NRA, though nearly two dozen others have ended their relationship with the association.

In a statement issued Monday evening, the company said that its official positions on gun policy and safety differ from the NRA’s.

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“FedEx opposes assault rifles being in the hands of civilians. While we strongly support the constitutional right of U.S. citizens to own firearms subject to appropriate background checks, FedEx views assault rifles and large capacity magazines as an inherent potential danger to schools, workplaces, and communities when such weapons are misused,” the statement said. “We therefore support restricting them to the military.”

Most importantly, the company said, they support action at all levels of government to “protect schools and students from incidents as the horrific tragedy” in Parkland earlier this month.

Despite their disagreements with the NRA, FedEx said they would continue to offer discounts to NRA members, claiming that ending the discount program would be discriminatory.

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“FedEx is a common carrier under Federal law and therefore does not and will not deny service or discriminate against any legal entity regardless of their policy positions or political views,” the statement said. “FedEx has never set or changed rates for any of our millions of customers around the world in response to their politics, beliefs or positions on issues.”

David Hogg, a Parkland shooting survivor who has emerged as a leader of a group of young people calling for gun control following the massacre, called on his 337,000 Twitter followers to boycott FedEx Monday.

In another tweet, Hogg said, “No matter who you are or what organization [you are, it’d] be a huge help if you changed your shipping service… in support of us.”

FedEx’s refusal to cut ties with the NRA comes after ThinkProgress first reported on a number of companies that do business with the association, many of which have now cut ties with the powerful lobbying group.

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On Saturday, two major airlines — Delta and United — said they would no longer be offering discounted flights to NRA members traveling to the group’s annual convention, which is scheduled for May in Dallas.

They join the largest privately held bank in the country, First National Bank of Omaha, which said it would stop issuing the NRA Visa card, Enterprise Holdings, which operates three major car rental companies, security software company Symantec, home security company SimpliSafe, auto insurer MetLifecar rentals Avis and Budgetmoving companies Allied and North American Van lines, and software company Wild Apricot, and car buying service TrueCar.

In a statement Saturday night, the NRA called the companies’ decision to cut ties “a shameful display of political and civic cowardice.” 

“Let it be absolutely clear,” the statement said. “The loss of a discount with 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.”