{"id":7898,"date":"2018-02-22T12:20:24","date_gmt":"2018-02-22T20:20:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/?p=7898"},"modified":"2018-02-22T12:20:24","modified_gmt":"2018-02-22T20:20:24","slug":"nra-supported-companies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/2018\/02\/22\/nra-supported-companies\/","title":{"rendered":"The NRA is being supported by these companies"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Come for the discounts, stay for the opposition to common sense gun laws.<\/h4>\n<\/div>\n
\n
KIRA LERNER<\/a>,<\/span>JOSH ISRAEL<\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>
<\/div>\n
\n
\"National<\/picture><\/div>
NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION MEMBERS VISIT EXHIBITOR BOOTHS AT THE 146TH NRA ANNUAL MEETINGS & EXHIBITS ON APRIL 29, 2017 IN ATLANTA, GEORGIA. WITH MORE THAN 800 EXHIBITORS, THE CONVENTION IS THE LARGEST ANNUAL GATHERING FOR THE NRA’S MORE THAN 5 MILLION MEMBERS. CREDIT: SCOTT OLSON\/GETTY IMAGES<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\n
<\/a><\/p>\n
\n

As the National Rifle Association grows increasingly\u00a0out of touch<\/a>\u00a0with most American gun owners, the organization still\u00a0claims<\/a>\u00a0\u201cmore than five million members.\u201d A number of corporations are making membership to the group, which opposes nearly all gun safety legislation, more enticing by partnering with the NRA.<\/p>\n

After paying the gun lobby\u2019s\u00a0$40 annual fee<\/a>, members are offered access to a\u00a0range of discounts<\/a>\u00a0and \u201cfive-star savings.\u201d<\/p>\n

Much like AARP or AAA, the organization promotes its discounts for members as a selling point for why people should join. The \u201cvaluable 5-star benefits\u201d promised include not just a subscription to an NRA magazine and a gun-owner liability protection policy but also savings on insurance, identity theft protection, hearing aids, car rentals, moving vans, shipping, and even wine. While some of these perks are provided by in-house subsidiaries, many are offered through corporate partners \u2014 including some household names.<\/p>\n

After the shooting in Parkland, Florida, the NRA has been the focus of renewed national attention, as the group continues to successfully block any legislation to curb gun violence on the national level. Dallas\u2019 mayor pro tem\u00a0told the NRA<\/a>Monday that the group will be \u201cmet with opposition\u201d if it holds its scheduled May conference in his city. And over the weekend, hundreds of people gathered outside the group\u2019s Virginia headquarters to\u00a0hold a vigil and protest<\/a>.<\/p>\n

ThinkProgress asked 22 corporations that the NRA says offer incentives to NRA members whether they plan to continue their relationships with the gun lobby.<\/p>\n

[You can\u00a0sign up to get updates<\/a>\u00a0via email about these companies and their relationship with the NRA\u00a0here<\/a>.]<\/p>\n

\n
\"CREDIT:<\/picture><\/div>
CREDIT: DIANA OFOSU<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Hertz\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n

The rental car company\u00a0offers NRA members<\/a>\u00a0\u201cup to 25% off everyday base rates at participating locations worldwide\u201d as well as \u201cadditional program benefits.\u201d According to the company\u2019s website, those benefits include \u201ceveryday savings,\u201d \u201cbonus savings,\u201d and \u201cpremier travel perks.\u201d A representative for Hertz did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday.<\/p>\n

Avis and Budget<\/h2>\n

The two car rental companies operated by the Avis Budget Group\u00a0offer NRA members<\/a>\u00a0up to 25 percent off base rates. A representative for the company did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday.<\/p>\n

Enterprise\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n

The rental car company\u00a0offers members<\/a>\u00a0an unspecified discount. \u201cNRA members save when you rent from Enterprise Rent-A-Car,\u201d its website says. A representative for Enterprise did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday.<\/p>\n

Alamo<\/b><\/h2>\n

On a special NRA member\u00a0discount website<\/a>, the rental car company says that \u201cNRA members save on everyday low prices.\u201d A representative for Enterprise Holdings, which operates the company, did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday.<\/p>\n

National<\/b><\/h2>\n

The rental car company\u00a0offers NRA members<\/a>\u00a0\u201cup to 20% off at participating National Car Rental locations.\u201d A representative for Enterprise Holdings, which operates the company, did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday.<\/p>\n

TrueCar<\/b><\/h2>\n

The car buying service advertises on a\u00a0special NRA member website<\/a>\u00a0that \u201cmembers save an average of $3,383 off MSRP!\u201d A representative did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday.<\/p>\n

LifeLine Screening<\/b><\/h2>\n

The preventative health company based in Austin, Texas says on a\u00a0NRA-specific website<\/a>\u00a0that members can \u201ctake advantage of affordable discounts.\u201d A representative did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday.<\/p>\n

Symantec<\/b><\/h2>\n

Norton\u00a0anti-malware software, developed and distributed by Symantec Corporation,\u00a0offers NRA members<\/a>\u00a0discounts on various subscription rates. Members can get $37 off a standard membership, $52 off a deluxe membership, and $62 off a premium membership. A representative for Symantec did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday.<\/p>\n

Allied Van Lines<\/b><\/h2>\n

The moving company\u00a0offers unspecified discounts<\/a>\u00a0to NRA members through a special website. A representative did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday.<\/p>\n

NorthAmerican Van Lines<\/b><\/h2>\n

The moving company, owned by the same parent company as Allied Van Lines, also\u00a0offers discounts to NRA members<\/a>. \u201cIt\u2019s a great program,\u201d a customer service representative told ThinkProgress. \u201cWe\u2019ve been doing this for many many years for NRA members.\u201d<\/p>\n

First National Bank of Omaha<\/b><\/h2>\n

\u00a0<\/b>The\u00a0Nebraska-based bank issues<\/a>\u00a0the \u201cofficial credit card of the NRA.\u201d One version of the Visa card offers five percent back on gas and sporting goods store purchases, while another offers a low intro APR. Both cards offer a $40 bonus,\u00a0\u201cenough to reimburse your one-year NRA membership!\u201d\u00a0The site also boasts that the card ensures \u201clegislative action in support of your Second Amendment Rights,\u201d \u201cpublic education and awareness about the facts of gun ownership,\u201d and \u201ctraining and safety programs for individuals, families, and the military.\u201d<\/p>\n

On Wednesday, less than 24 hours after ThinkProgress first reported the bank\u2019s connection to the NRA, the\u00a0website advertising the card disappeared<\/a>.\u00a0A representative for the bank did not respond to requests for comment.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
\"A<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
\n

Website advertising the \u2018official credit card of the NRA\u2019 mysteriously disappears<\/h3>\n

First National Bank of Omaha offered two versions of the card to NRA members.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

SimpliSafe<\/b><\/h2>\n

NRA\u00a0members<\/a>\u00a0receive\u00a0two months free<\/a>\u00a0of SimpliSafe\u2019s\u00a0monitoring with the purchase of any new home security system.\u00a0A representative did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday.<\/p>\n

Starkey Hearing Technologies<\/b><\/h2>\n

The NRA\u00a0partners<\/a>\u00a0with this prominent hearing aid technology company to offer discounted hearing aids and \u201cfree consultations\u201d for its members.\u00a0A representative did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday.<\/p>\n

ManageUrID<\/b><\/h2>\n

Members are\u00a0encouraged<\/a>\u00a0to protect their \u201cprivacy and financial security\u201d through a subscription to this privacy protection service, though no discount is specified.\u00a0A representative did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday.<\/p>\n

Life Insurance Central<\/b><\/h2>\n

The NRA-endorsed term life company is\u00a0listed<\/a>\u00a0as providing \u201chigher coverage amounts\u201d for members on life insurance\u00a0policies<\/a>.\u00a0A representative did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday.<\/p>\n

Medical Concierge Network<\/h2>\n

Unspecified \u201cspecialized exclusive benefits<\/a>\u201d are offered for members who want to join this \u201cpersonal health advisory service.\u201d The company\u2019s founder, Greg Nassief, told ThinkProgress that he has no comment on the company\u2019s relationship with the NRA, noting that it is not political and that his company has similar relationships \u201cwith several entities across all sorts of categories.\u201d<\/p>\n

eHealth<\/b><\/h2>\n

Members are invited to\u00a0purchase<\/a>\u00a0health insurance plans through eHealth\u2019s\u00a0exchange<\/a>, though no specific discount is specified.\u00a0A representative did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday.<\/p>\n

Teladoc\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n

NRA members are offered a $14.95 \u201cdiscounted monthly rate<\/a>\u201d for this telemedicine service.\u00a0In an email, the company\u2019s communications director Courtney McLeod told ThinkProgress that \u201cTeladoc is not an NRA partner\u201d and that \u201cthey offer our services (access to healthcare), just as they could offer access to any number of consumer products or services.\u201d When ThinkProgress pointed out that the NRA site claims \u201ca specially-discounted group rate for NRA members,\u201d McLeod said the company \u201cdoes not have a direct relationship with the NRA\u201d and that\u00a0any group rate was negotiated with a third party.<\/p>\n

\n
\"National<\/picture><\/div>
NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION MEMBERS VISIT EXHIBITOR BOOTHS AT THE 146TH NRA ANNUAL MEETINGS & EXHIBITS ON APRIL 29, 2017 IN ATLANTA, GEORGIA. CREDIT: SCOTT OLSON\/GETTY IMAGES<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Members of the NRA\u2019s\u00a0Business Alliance<\/a>, a separate program for businesses, receive additional benefits and discounts. These include:<\/p>\n

FedEx<\/b><\/h2>\n

The shipping giant provides up to a\u00a026 percent discount<\/a>\u00a0for NRA Business Alliance members via its FedEx Advantage program. A representative did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday.<\/p>\n

LifeLock<\/b><\/h2>\n

Access to LifeLock Business Solutions, the identity-theft prevention company\u2019s business arm, is\u00a0listed<\/a>\u00a0as a benefit, though no specific discount is specified.\u00a0A representative for its parent company, Symantec, did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday.<\/p>\n

Wild Apricot\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n

NRA Business Alliance members are\u00a0offered<\/a>\u00a0a 30-day free trial of the member management company\u2019s website and membership software. A representative told ThinkProgress that the company offers anyone a 30-day free trial and \u201chas absolutely no affiliation or partnership with the NRA,\u201d but did not explain why the NRA is advertising the trial to members.\u00a0<\/span>In 2013, Wild Apricot told ThinkProgress that the company permits any lawful group to receive a commission if they sign up as affiliate partners and they \u201cdo not pay any fee to the NRA, and their affiliates do not receive any discount on our software.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

The NRA also\u00a0manages a directory<\/a>\u00a0of smaller companies that offer discounts and incentives, allowing members to search by state.<\/p>\n

In early 2013, weeks after the Sandy Hook shooting, ThinkProgress\u00a0published<\/a>\u00a0a similar list. Since that time, several companies have discontinued their relationships with the pro-gun group. \u00a0Following a grassroots\u00a0pressure campaign<\/a>led by the global advocacy group Avaaz.org, both Best Western and Wyndham hotels stopped offering an NRA discount.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe did end our discount with the NRA at the end of last year,\u201d Maire Griffin, Wyndham\u2019s vice president of global communications, told ThinkProgress. \u201cWe no longer will offer this discount, period.\u201d<\/p>\n

A similar\u00a0pressure campaign<\/a>\u00a0by a coalition of LGBTQ rights groups and gun violence prevention organizations began pressuring FedEx to do the same in 2016, but has not yet had success.<\/p>\n

This post will be updated as the companies respond to ThinkProgress. You can\u00a0sign up to get updates<\/a>\u00a0via email about these companies and their relationship with the NRA\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Come for the discounts, stay for the opposition to common sense gun laws. KIRA LERNER,JOSH ISRAEL\u00a0FEB 20, 2018 (thinkprogress.org) NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION MEMBERS VISIT EXHIBITOR BOOTHS AT THE 146TH NRA ANNUAL MEETINGS & EXHIBITS ON APRIL 29, 2017 IN ATLANTA, GEORGIA. WITH MORE THAN 800 EXHIBITORS, THE CONVENTION IS THE… Continue reading → <\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7898"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7898"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7898\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7899,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7898\/revisions\/7899"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7898"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7898"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7898"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}