UPDATE: 4:10 p.m. EDT — In a statement to IBT, Yeti Coolers clarified it had not cut ties with the National Rifle Association, but instead offered NRA Foundation a different deal than the one the company had been offering till recently. Yeti also called the NRA-ILA statement from Friday “inaccurate” and reaffirmed its own commitment to the Second Amendment.

Here’s the full statement:

“A few weeks ago, YETI® notified the NRA Foundation, as well as a number of other organizations, that we were eliminating a group of outdated discounting programs. When we notified the NRA Foundation and the other organizations of this change, YETI explained that we were offering them an alternative customization program broadly available to consumers and organizations, including the NRA Foundation. These facts directly contradict the inaccurate statement the NRA-ILA distributed on April 20.

Further, the NRA-ILA stated in that same public communication that “[YETI has] declined to continue helping America’s young people enjoy outdoor recreational activities.” Nothing is further from the truth. YETI was founded more than 10 years ago with a passion for the outdoors, and over the course of our history we have actively and enthusiastically supported hunters, anglers and the broader outdoor community. We have been devoted to and will continue to directly support causes tied to our passion for the outdoors, including by working with many organizations that promote conservation and management of wildlife resources and habitat restoration. From our website to our film footage and from our social media posts to our ambassadors, YETI has always prominently featured hunters pursuing their passions. Moreover, YETI is unwavering in our belief in and commitment to the Constitution of the United States and its Second Amendment.”

Original story:

Another company announced its decision to cut ties to the National Rifle Association, and the NRA and several gun owners reacted by criticizing Yeti Coolers for its decision, saying it “isn’t sportsmanlike” and calling for a boycott of the company’s products. Yeti didn’t announce the decision publicly, and the news became public only after a letter about it was sent by NRA to its members.

The letter, sent out Friday, reportedly said: “For years YETI Coolers have been a hot item for sportsmen at the Friends of NRA Foundation Banquet and Auction events around the country. … Suddenly, without prior notice, YETI has declined to do business with The NRA Foundation saying they no longer wish to be an NRA vendor, and refused to say why. They will only say they will no longer sell products to The NRA Foundation.”

Gun Protest
Students hold signs while they take part in an anti-National Rifle Association's (NRA) protest at Washington Square Park in New York City, April 20, 2018. HECTOR RETAMAL/AFP/Getty Images

It went on to add that the company should be ashamed of it decision, and that “In this day and age, information is power. We thought you needed this information.”

Several NRA members and gun owners seemed to have certainly used this information to launch a boycott campaign against Yeti’s products, calling them overpriced and the company’s move bad publicity that alienated its core target demographic. Chris Loesch, husband of NRA spokeswoman Dana Loesch, asked the company to reverse its “terrible decision.” Several others pitched alternate brands for people to buy.

And as is often the case on social media platforms, the “left” got bashed in the process as well.

Some users came out in support of the Austin, Texas, company, praising its decision.

There were also some reasonable opinions buried among all the indignation.

Since the February mass shooting at a school in Parkland, Florida, and the NRA’s refusal to acknowledge that easy access to guns, semi-automatic rifles in particular, had a role to play in the tragic incident, several companies have reduced or cut ties to the powerful gun lobby. Among those companies are Delta and United airlines, Hertz, MetLife, Alamo, Enterprise and First National Bank of Omaha.

Several protests against current gun laws have been held around the country since the February incident, in which 17 people, most of them teenage students, were killed. Most of these protests have called for “common sense” reform of gun laws. Many protestors have called on businesses to cut ties with the NRA, hoping it would eventually lead to a reduction in gun violence.

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