Fed Up with the Government, People Turn Their Attention Elsewhere

Chapter 5 discusses the importance of public opinion on swaying government policies. In particular, it discusses the responsibility of the government in reflecting the wishes of the people. In light of the recent Florida school shooting, public concern and discourse has been growing exponentially, to the point that students decided to start a movement to voice the concerns of gun violence and in hopes of getting legislation passed. In the aftermath of the shooting, President Trump tweeted his plan to enforce stricter gun laws in response to the nation’s frustration and outcries.

Congress has still been hesitant about pushing forward legislation, so in response, advocates against guns have started to target their attention on companies that have ties with the NRA. The advocates are threatening to boycott said businesses if they choose to continue their relationships. In light of the nation’s frustration and the President’s response, multiple companies have been publicly cutting their ties with the NRA.

This reflects the power that public interest and pressure have over businesses. I believe that it’s wise for the people to put pressure on all aspects of the NRA’s relations, rather than just the government. Since the government is not taking great strides in passing legislation in response to the public’s outrage, I believe that the people need to take other measures. It is the responsibility of the government to reflect the wishes of the people, yet the people have been disappointed time and time again. A CNN Money article discusses the positive impact that this pressure has had on our society, “‘What companies do impacts the way that lawmakers think,’ she said. Klepper thinks that citizens have started to see corporations as ‘more reliable responders than government. More and more’, he said, ‘business leaders are becoming the voice of principled society.’” (http://money.cnn.com/2018/02/25/news/companies/boycott-nra-companies/index.html).

Others might think that it is unfair to let politics get involved with businesses. Some might be angry that politics might determine where we shop, or that the “liberals/against gun violence” might be pushing their agendas onto businesses. My question is, do you believe it is fair to go after companies that support the NRA? If you do, what are other creative ways people could put pressure on the NRA and the government?

Links:

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/24/business/nra-companies-boycott.html? rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fus&action=click&contentCollection=us&region=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=6&pgtype=sectionfront

6 Responses to "Fed Up with the Government, People Turn Their Attention Elsewhere"

Jacob Weis says:

February 26, 2018 at 12:17 pm

Isabella,

Great post. I thought that you raised some important points.

Personally I think it was an unwise decision on behalf of these companies to drop connections and programs connected with the NRA. This decision might have more conviction if they guaranteed to donate a portion of their annual profit, lets say like 10% to a program that supports anti-gun legislation. I see this as a advertisement to gain a reaction. But this most likely will amount to nothing since other than NRA members, no one will remember any of this a couple months from now.

Thank you for your post
James Hulbert says:

February 26, 2018 at 10:01 pm

Isabella,

Thank you for bringing an important topic to light. It is important to realize that government is not the only institution that determines policy because big businesses like these airlines have massive voices. I think that the quote from the CNN money article says it all. Companies have a major impact on government policies and public opinion as a whole. The #BoycottNRA is another example of a completely legal movement brought together to catch the eye of policy makers while also taking shots at the all-powerful NRA. It is true that companies like these who have put beliefs before money are more reliable responders than government, but the mission of public opinion is still to sway policy makers. On CNN, I watched Marco Rubio tell a survivor of the shooting that he was not willing to stop taking donations from the NRA because they are huge contributors to him. Thus far, it appears that companies are listening to the people more than the government and that is unacceptable.
Madeleine Stone says:

February 27, 2018 at 12:33 pm

Hi Bella,

Thanks for providing a discussion on this topic. I think it is extremely important in light of recent events, but also something that obviously needs reform. The reaction that companies are having to the NRA after the Parkland shooting is warranted but only a little bit disconcerting that it is only happening now. There was over 307 mass shootings in the first 11 months of 2017. This fact is not only completely jaw dropping, but also evident that there still has been no reform enacted by the government to reduce these numbers. We are now finally seeing that the people of the United States are taking other measures to help reduce these numbers. Both Delta and United Airlines taking a public stance against the NRA could very well be the start of a national push by the people to work together and get these regulations passed. President Trump tweeting that he is planning on implemented reform quite literally means nothing. We need to push the government to take responsibility of this pressing issue and powerful companies of our economy should stand together, like Delta and United. I definitely do not think it is unfair for businesses to influence politics in relation to this specific issues. It is completely fair and the right of citizens to withstand going to companies that support the NRA and choose to go to ones that stand against the NRA instead. Thanks again for your discussion!
Sophia Harrison says:

February 27, 2018 at 2:04 pm

Bella,
This is a really interesting post in light of everything that has been going on within the United States. After little legislation had been passed following the Sandy Hook, Colorado, and Las Vegas shootings, people are fed up and ready to voice their concerns in wake of the Parkland shooting. Large companies—Delta, United, Metlife etc—are listening to their consumers wants and cutting ties with the NRA. I think this is a step in the right direction because it is showing that people’s wants are not only being listened too, but also acted on—something that is usually prevented by the powers and money of the NRA. David Jolly, a former Republican congressman in Florida, won the Congressional District in a January 2014, and then easily won reelection to a full term the following November. In June 2016, an election year, a gunman opened fired in an Orlando nightclub killing 49 people. Jolly presented a moderate gun control bill on the House floor. Following this bill, the NRA completely pulled its support for Jolly. Jolly’s bill died and he lost the race that year by 3.8 percent. This just shows how much influence the NRA holds when it comes to policy making. I don’t think it’s unfair to let politics get involved with businesses because they are all seemingly intertwined and connected. Politics are a part of businesses and businesses are a part of politics. If politics and businesses were kept separate in the first place, then these companies would have never even supported the NRA.
Paige Jordan says:

February 28, 2018 at 11:51 am

Bella, thank you for your post! I think the examples you touched upon exemplify the power of the voice of the people in the US. Citizens have now put a pressure on companies that have relations with the NRA to intensify the nature of the issue in effort to bring about change. As the textbook recognizes, the public opinion is often an important factor as to how the government and political leaders act. Now that companies such as American Airlines and Delta have removed their support from the NRA, it becomes a bigger issue. In my opinion, I can justify why going after these airlines is a measure taken to expedite the goal of bringing about change. For if simply pressuring Congress or the NRA is not sufficient in the eyes of activists, I can understand why they would then turn to other measures. Perhaps, as Maddy suggests, this could lead to a national push to pass legislation. While doing so definitely causes outside companies to interfere, it also represents how individual citizens can together bring about change. As I can understand why controversy might arise when entire organizations such as American Airlines and Delta act accordingly and as one to remove their support from the NRA, consumers have the right to choose where they do business.
Alexander Morris says:

February 28, 2018 at 8:56 pm

Isabella,

Awesome post and great read. I believe your thoughts and assumptions on political opinion and their effect on business’s is spot on. I never saw those tweets before, and it is good to see companies stand up for change. I too, believe that major business like, Delta and United Airlines and many many others have the ability to shape change other than politics. Pushing the government to make even more changes is necessary to the removal of bump stocks and people getting their hands on guns illegally. A big national push from more companies could be the shape and route of future reforms. I never really thought about it before, but big businesses could have more power in these kind of instances than you would think. It is a nice sight to see companies stand for the public more than that of the government. Besides being big businesses they show that they care for society and believe that the NRA must reconsider their laws. Answering your question in your post, I believe that it is fair to go after companies that support the NRA. When you support things, you often stand by them politically and what they stand for as a culture. With such an important topic regarding societies safety, this one plays a major role. All in all, great discussion starter and great read, good work!

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