NRA urges members to boycott oil giant

[rick_reno]

ConocoPhillips opposes Okla. law allowing guns on company property

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MSNBC News Services[/align]Updated: 8:52 a.m. ET Aug. 2, 2005[/align][/align]
IDABELL, Okla. - The National Rifle Association is urging its 4 million members to boycott ConocoPhillips gas stations and products because the oil giant is trying to block an Oklahoma law that allows employees to keep guns in their cars when parked in company lots.
Conoco is among several companies challenging the state law in federal court, but the NRA singled it out for the boycott.
"œAcross the country, we"™re going to make ConocoPhillips the example of what happens when a corporation takes away your Second Amendment rights,"� NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre said.

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The law was passed after Weyerhaeuser Corp. fired 12 employees in 2002 at a plant near Idabell for violating a policy forbidding firearms on company property.
"œIf you are a corporation that is anti-gun, anti-gun owner or anti-Second Amendment, we will spare no effort or expense to work against you to protect the rights of your law-abiding employees,"� LaPierre added in a news release Monday.
The NRA routinely cites the U.S. Constitution"™s Second Amendment as prohibiting restrictions on gun ownership and possession by "œlaw-abiding"� citizens.

Live Vote: Do you support the NRA boycott?[/align][/align]
Company's response
Conoco said in a statement that it wants to protect its workers from possible violence.
"œConocoPhillips supports the Second Amendment and respects the rights of law abiding citizens to own guns,"� the company said. "œWe are simply trying to provide a safe and secure working environment for our employees by keeping guns out of our facilities, including our company parking lots."�
According to a study by Handgun-Free America, which seeks to ban private handgun ownership, there were 164 workplace shootings in the United States between 1994 and 2003, in which 290 people were killed and 161 were wounded.
The NRA plans to purchase billboard advertising urging motorists to join the boycott of ConocoPhillips motor fuels, which are marketed as Conoco or Phillips 66.
A judge has blocked enforcement of the Oklahoma law pending resolution of the federal lawsuit.
The energy company has more than 3,100 workers in Oklahoma, the majority at the company"™s refinery in Ponca City.[/align][/align]

[kevin1]

I don't agree with Conoco-Phillips decision on the matter , and I don't buy from them anyway since they have no presense here , but why should we try to dictate their business practices to them ? Writing to show your support for the workers is one thing , threatening their employer is entirely another . It wouldn't work anyway , they'd just sell their gas somewhere else .

[North Texan]

ORIGINAL: kevin1

I don't agree with Conoco-Phillips decision on the matter , and I don't buy from them anyway since they have no presense here , but why should we try to dictate their business practices to them ? Writing to show your support for the workers is one thing , threatening their employer is entirely another . It wouldn't work anyway , they'd just sell their gas somewhere else .

I disagree. What about the people that are not financially independent enough to leave a job when their rights are violated? Should they be forced to accept this?

[Charlie P]

What about the people that are not financially independent enough to leave a job when their rights are violated

How are their rights being violated? Employers can dictate what you do outside of work(drug tests) and they can ban smoking on their property. The can also limit your free speech rights right?

[Cougar Mag]

Although I don't agree with the oil company's policy, its their property and their parking lot. My company also doesn't allow firearms or any kind of hunting weapon on their property. Don't matter if its locked up in the trunk or not.

[kevin1]

There are plenty of times when I don't like my job or the management's policies , NT , and when it gets to be too much I start thinking about leaving . The only thing standing between me and that is saving the money to do it , which is exactly the same choice they have . If enough of them leave that C-P can't operate because they can't get replacements for all the skilled people that they've alienated then they'll find out why and change on their own . If not they'll just shut down and move to Mexico , which is probably what they're gonna do anyway .

Normally I'm in full support of what the NRA does , this isn't one of those times . C-P isn't violating the law or colluding with PETA or the HSUS , and they have the right to say that they don't want guns in their parking lot . If their employees are too lazy to go home and get their hunting weapons instead of violating their employer's policy then they probably deserved to be fired . My employer has the same policy , which we were required to read and sign as they were , so I don't bring guns to work .

I won't say that I haven't protested a company or two , PetSmart and Accor hotels come to mind , but I didn't threaten them . I only told them that I didn't care for whatever association they had with objectionable business partners and why , I left it to them to decide if offending me was worth it , and in most cases it wasn't .

[North Texan]

C-P isn't violating the law

But they are. Oklahoma law says its OK to carry a gun.

[Charlie P]

Oklahoma law says its OK to carry a gun.

So your saying I couldn't tell someone not to bring a gun on my property in Ok?

Priviate property is priviate property.

[NCOutdoors]

I support C-Ps right to prohibit them on their property. I also support a group of private citizens trying to encourage a change in policy.

[rick_reno]

It's private property. If the employees don't like the polices, they can choose not to park their vehicles there. What about the time the NRA has held it's yearly convention in buildings where firearms were not permitted - did they boycott then?