by Sean Oberle
Analysis@KeepAndBearArms.Com

April 3, 2002

Your signature still matters. Please help spread the word. Sign the petition here: http://www.petitiononline.com/hrblock/petition.html. 

Background.

KeepAndBearArms.com — Janine Smiley of the H&R Block public relations department has responded to the petition. She is the contact for this issue, and I encourage you to write her if you have not already done so (see address below), and to sign the petition. 

It is imperative that H&R Block understand the financial danger of doing the political bidding of the anti-gun extremists. It is imperative that H&R Block stand as an example to other companies against doing the bidding of the anti-gun extremists. 

We have a good start, but we need more. The message from our side needs to be a clear: “Do business with, speak with, do anything remotely favorable to the anti-gun extremists, and you will suffer economic damage.”

Thus your signature on the petition will help make this statement now and in the future to other companies. This goes beyond the present situation and it goes beyond the NRA. The stakes are these: with this action, the anti-gun extremists have signaled their intent to isolate our side economically. We need to make sure corporate America understands the danger of helping Brady and GIW in that attempt.

Important Fact: H&R Block actually is honoring the NRA deal through next week, according to Smiley. All services to NRA members have and will result in a Memberdrive royalty to the NRA. Any portrayal of the marketing agreement as having ended for this year is false — Brady Campaign’s and Gun Industry Watch’s use of words like “sever” and “terminate” are inaccurate exaggerations.

Nonetheless, while Smiley did characterize the press release by Brady Campaign and Gun Industry Watch as “inaccurate,” H&R Block at this time will go no further in disavowing Brady and GIW’s political use of this situation. This disavowal is a specific demand of the petition, and thus we need to keep pressure on the company.

The fact remains that H&R Block’s only political action was the March 8 letter from Communications VP Linda McDougall in which she announced that H&R Block would do the political bidding of the anti-gun extremists who were threatening protests on March 16:

“I want to thank [Brady Campaign’s] membership for taking the time to share their views with us, and hope that H&R Block’s decision will quickly remove the company from this unwanted debate and eliminate the need for any activities on March 16.”

Prior to that, H&R Block had nothing but a business deal. The irony is that by attempting to “remove the company” from non-existent politics, it entered them. It could have insisted on the truth: that this was a business deal. It could have offered the same deal to the anti-gun extremists: proving it was not taking sides. 

Instead, it chose to cave-in to the anti-gun side — your signature will help demonstrate that such a cave-in is a huge economic mistake. 

Sign the petition: http://www.petitiononline.com/hrblock/petition.html. 

Explain your views to Ms. Smiley:

Janine Smiley
H&R Block
4400 Main Street
Kansas City, MO 64111

Sean Oberle is a Featured Writer and gun control analyst for KeepAndBearArms.com. He can be reached at Analysis@KeepAndBearArms.com. View other articles from him at http://www.KeepAndBearArms.com/Oberle.