When good charities go bad
I have posted before about Soldiers Angels, a charity run by General Patton's daughter. I thought it was a great idea--they used donations to put together care packages for soldiers serving in Afghanistan and Iraq, and by virtue of their organization could do so much more efficiently than what individuals could. It seemed to me that contributing would have more of an impact on soldiers' lives than mailing a package of socks and playing cards to "Any Soldier."
Sadly, I have asked to be removed from their mailing list. I understood when I first contributed that I would receive more requests for donations--that's what charities do. But the request I received last week was the deal breaker: a cardboard mailing tube with an American flag and a small tag enclosed. I was asked to sign the little tag, enclose it with the flag and a donation, and return the whole thing in the mailing tube using their pre-paid address label. The flag (just slightly bigger than 4x6, on a wooden stick) was to be carried in a demonstration in Washington "showing all our troops how much we support them and their mission."* The flag was accompanied by a letter in which Ms. Patton-Bader railed against all those liberals who "rejoice . . . with every American death" and who desperately want America "to lose this war."
Those of you who read this blog regularly will anticipate my reaction: sending care packages to soldiers=good; mailing flags back and forth to each other and trash-talking liberals=bad. The march in Washington is debatable--showing support for soldiers is a good thing, but turning it into a conservative rally using charitable donations isn't acceptable to me. (I also have to wonder how many soldiers could have received care packages with the money it's costing to stage this march.) And of course anyone who asserts that liberals "rejoice" when American soldiers are killed has zero credibility with me.
Anyone know of a good charity out there who can send care packages to deployed soldiers without political rallies or strawmanning?
*This is a paraphrase--the other quotes in this post are exact.
Sadly, I have asked to be removed from their mailing list. I understood when I first contributed that I would receive more requests for donations--that's what charities do. But the request I received last week was the deal breaker: a cardboard mailing tube with an American flag and a small tag enclosed. I was asked to sign the little tag, enclose it with the flag and a donation, and return the whole thing in the mailing tube using their pre-paid address label. The flag (just slightly bigger than 4x6, on a wooden stick) was to be carried in a demonstration in Washington "showing all our troops how much we support them and their mission."* The flag was accompanied by a letter in which Ms. Patton-Bader railed against all those liberals who "rejoice . . . with every American death" and who desperately want America "to lose this war."
Those of you who read this blog regularly will anticipate my reaction: sending care packages to soldiers=good; mailing flags back and forth to each other and trash-talking liberals=bad. The march in Washington is debatable--showing support for soldiers is a good thing, but turning it into a conservative rally using charitable donations isn't acceptable to me. (I also have to wonder how many soldiers could have received care packages with the money it's costing to stage this march.) And of course anyone who asserts that liberals "rejoice" when American soldiers are killed has zero credibility with me.
Anyone know of a good charity out there who can send care packages to deployed soldiers without political rallies or strawmanning?
*This is a paraphrase--the other quotes in this post are exact.
posted by English Professor | 9:27 AM
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