Press Release            For Immediate Release
March 12, 2002
Contacts:       Julie Bernstein
               Kristin Becker  
               [email protected]

H&R Block Severs Ties with National Rifle Association

Washington, D.C.-[B]In a stunning defeat for the gun lobby, H&R Block, the nation's largest tax preparation firm, today severed a controversial
marketing agreement it had entered into with the National Rifle Association (NRA).[/B]  H&R Block's withdrawal from the program came as a result of widespread protests spearheaded by the Alliance for Justice's Gun Industry Watch, and supported by the Million Mom March united with the Brady Campaign and the Mid-Atlantic Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence.

"Let this send a loud message to other corporate partners of the NRA," said Alliance for Justice President Nan Aron.  "If you support the NRA, we
will work to make sure that your employees, customers, and all of your stakeholders know that you support an extremist gun lobby that is out of step with mainstream America."  * * *

H&R Block had entered into an agreement with a marketing company called Memberdrive to market its products and services to NRA members.  However, the agreement also provided for "royalties" paid by H&R Block, through Memberdrive, to the NRA.  According an H&R Block advertisement that ran in the March issue of America's First Freedom, the NRA's magazine, H&R Block "will make a contribution to the NRA for every Member who becomes a new customer."  

Gun Industry Watch, a student network, first exposed the agreement in late February, staging a protest outside of an H&R Block outlet in Washington, DC, and planning dozens more.  Over the past two weeks, thousands of activists including those from the Million Mom March and the Brady Campaign joined with Gun Industry Watch and called, faxed and e-mailed H&R Block to express their objections to this agreement and to educate the company on the extremist positions that the NRA has taken in the past.

With Gun Industry Watch recruiting students, Million Mom March recruiting its members and support from the Mid-Atlantic Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence, protests of H&R Block offices in more than 50 cities had been planned for mid-March. These protests have now been called off.  * * *

"H&R Block now understands that, by areeing to this royalty scheme, it was furthering the reckless political agenda of the NRA's leadership," said Mr. Barnes.  * * *

why don't we ever stage protests over companies that DON'T support gun rights???????????  [>:/]

I'll never use H&R Block, and as soon as I have a calm moment I'll tell them why.

My note:
I read that you decided to cancel your agreement with the NRA because your good friends on the far left wanted you to.
That's fine, I understand that you want to obey people who live in NY and LA just like you.
I stopped on my way home and bought Turbo Tax. You turn your back on me, I don't use you for my taxes.
(Oh, your new friends on the far left....don't they have private accountants?)

Submit your comments at:  http://www.hrblock.com/customer_support/submit_a_question.jsp

mabey in articles we should have a plain as day list of antigun enities we should avoid at all cost.  once on list nothing will remove company accept a good sized documented donation to a pro-gun lobby.

Why isn't the nra spending money on adds to promote our freedoms?

I think that a boycott is in order. The problem with that is the panty-waste liberals have relatively little more than a lot of hot air behind their rhetoric, and yet they were able to intimidate H&R Block. What a bunch of sh*t! I am not sure what is more disgusting-the activists that held the 'gun' to their head or the fact that the H&R Block's corporate leadership lacks the conviction of character to honor it's agreements.

I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop.

[url]http://sweetliberty.org/issues/guns/organizations.htm[/url]

The list in the above URL is quite extensive, albeit with some need of updating. I posted all the names of individuals and orgs. contained in it a while back here- maybe somebody else can find it in a search of Gen. Discussion of the paste few months. Look up: "National Organizations With Anti-Gun Policies"

They'll still see my money.........
If they're floating face down in the wishing well!!

[}:D]