Parkland Activists Are Still Picking Off Corporate Donors to NRA-Friendly Politicians
Since the February shooting in Parkland, Florida, school shootings haven't stopped. That's not surprising, since politicians are still by and large refusing to try to do anything to curb gun violence. But the Parkland survivors, the teen activists behind the March for Our Lives and the boycott that caused Laura Ingraham to lose two dozen corporate sponsors, aren't fading into the background.
This week, Parkland activist David Hogg singled out the grocery chain Publix because of the company's support for Adam Putnam, a Republican campaigning to replace Rick Scott as Florida's governor. Putnam has referred to himself as an "NRA sellout" with an A+ rating from the organization. In a matter of days, Hogg helped organize a die-in protest inside two Publix stores. The company promptly released a statement saying they would halt and reevaluate all donations:
"At Publix, we respect the students and members of the community who have chosen to express their voices on these issues," the grocery store said in a statement. "We regret that our contributions have led to a divide in our community. We did not intend to put our associates and the customers they serve in the middle of a political debate. At the same time, we remain committed to maintaining a welcoming shopping environment for our customers.
"We would never knowingly disappoint our customers or the communities we serve," the statement continued. "As a result, we decided earlier this week to suspend corporate-funded political contributions as we reevaluate our giving processes."
While that's a big win for the student activists, it's not a total victory. Publix is responsible for large donations to Putnam, but corporate donations are just one piece of the Publix-related money that he's received. Per the Chicago Tribune:
Publix has been a strong Putnam supporter. Campaign finance records show that Publix, its top executives and board members, and their family members have donated more than $750,000 altogether to Putnam or his political committee. A former top Publix executive who is related to the chairman of Putnam's committee has donated an additional $65,000.
The suspension announced Friday applies only to money from the company, which has given $413,000 to Putnam over about three years.
Hogg and fellow Parkland student Emma Gonzalez have become favorite targets of gun control opponents. But the backlash against the NRA has been producing tangible results: Vista Outdoor is reportedly pulling out of firearm production after outdoor retailer REI threatened to stop selling all of the company's products. And with this latest victory, the Parkland students have shown that they aren't fading into the background any time soon.
