My parents are overjoyed with Walmart and Salvation Army

[Deja Q]

They are Dem and pro-gay (for 2 reasons).

However, they love the Salvation Army and think it's a great charity.

When Target refused the bell ringers, they said they were getting more people donating.

They were gushing yesterday about the Walmart-matching deal. The one thing I told them was Target gave back to the community on a far more consistent basis.

I won't fight them too much on this, but what can I send to them that tells of the SalivationA rmy's discriminatory practices that I doubt Jesus would be fond of?

Thanks!

[NMDemDist2]

1. send them this....

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/walmart/

[Deja Q]

2. They do know, now that I remember, that they've seen the 60 Mins story

where Walmart moves in, mom'n'pop stores move out, Walmart leaves claiming unprofitability (another reason why I and any good human should hate today's form of capitalism) and left. That never fazed them.

OTOH, they are on a very limited budget and often have no choice but to go there.


Thanks for the link! I will send it to them.

Nothing is ever a black and white issue, and if anybody says anything can be a b/w issue, then they should be put into a psychiatric ward. (Gee, who comes to mind? The same person who says God talks to him too. :eyes: )

[Starlight]

4. SA doesn't NEED her money!!

No matter how much a person believes in their mission, they don't need your money! Please, give your $10 or $25 or $100 to a charity that actually NEEDS it & will use it to help the community, not play the stock market!

They just received the largest donation IN HISTORY:

http://www.cbn.com/CBNNews/CWN/012304newsbriefing.asp

It looks like the Salvation Army here in the United States may not be lining up for any federal funds anytime soon. That's because the Christian group has announced it is receiving the largest gift ever given to a charity, a donation of roughly $1.5 billion.

The gift comes from the estate of Joan B. Kroc, the deceased heiress of the McDonald's restaurant fortune.

And even BEFORE her 1.5 billion dollar gift:

http://www.nptimes.com/Nov04/sr1.html

SA experienced a significant positive swing in investment income in fiscal year 2003 from the previous year. Investment income improved to roughly $556.3 million in fiscal year 2003, from a negative $281.3 million investment income in fiscal year 2002.

SA had roughly $3.74 billion (fair market value) in investments under management as of Sept. 30, 2003. SA has five investment committees. It has four regions plus a fifth at national headquarters, which has regional representation.

And here is an old, yet timeless article on Christmas that expresses my feelings very well:

http://www.motherearthnews.com/arc/5209/

I do not give to organized charities—Salvation Army; that sort of thing. These may be honest, charitable groups as far as they go, but they do not go far enough for me. I keep thinking how many children could be fed by the money spent on uniforms and modern buildings and the director's Cadillac.

I do not give to the church. I can't help thinking of the Chicanos in the barrio, and of how out-of-place they would look in Saint Basil's, the two million dollar church the Catholics threw up on Wilshire to compete with the synagogue across the street.

[leftyandproud]

3. salvation army is a good charity

They did a lot of good after 9-11..they help homeless people, regardless of whether they are gay or straight. They help families find shelter when their houses are burned down, or destroyed by tornados, etc. My dad was a cop for 30 years, and he told me they would often show up out of the blue at crime scenes where family members have been killed and provide counseling and a place to stay (as long as necessary) for the victims families...They would also bring cops/firefighters food and hot chocolate on the cold nights, and do all sorts of food drives for the homeless...providing huge thanksgiving and christmas feasts for them (with gifts on christmas--fresh clothes, blankets, toothbrushes, etc)

All-around a great charity, no doubt.

[Deja Q]

6. They won't hire fags. They suspected a friend was a fag so he didn't get

any help.

Yeah, a great charity. The fuckers discriminate against whoever they want, usually using the "gay card" as they please.

Maybe better than other charities, but any charity that does shit like this doesn't deserve the time of day nor glory (which is nothing more than false glory.)

Yes, I used the "fag" word deliberately. How do you feel? (BTW: I'm gay so please don't you dare accuse me of being homophobic. O8) )

[underpants]

5. I'd give them clothes and goods but no money

-

[noamnety]

7. SA lobbied Bush to gut anti-discrimination laws

In their hiring practices, they "legitimize" bigotry. Bigots aren't acceptable just because they do good deeds on the side. Paraphrased from http://outrage.nabumedia.com/pressrelease.asp?ID=161 :

In an internal memo leaked to the WaPo, they stated that “the Salvation Army's role will be a surprise to many in the media". Because this might be in conflict with their public image, the memo stressed that it should not under any circumstances be leaked to the media. (The deal was that the SA would provide support for faith-based funding in exchange for Bush helping to gut anti-discrimination laws across the country.) Details: http://tampabaycoalition.homestead.com/files/BushDropRuleOnDiscrimGays.htm

In 2001, SA scaled back homeless shelters, drug rehabilitation and meals for the aged, in San Francisco rather than comply with a city requirement that same-sex partners receive equal employee benefits in order for a charity to be eligible for city funding.

SA televangelist ‘Major’ Rodney Dawson, railed against the “desperate attempt” of liberal society to “shift the goalposts” and to “encourage personal freedom” which led to an abandonment of biblical principles. He attacked non-celibate gay and lesbian couples, as well as heterosexual couples who had sex before marriage, saying they formed a group that has “little in common with our concept of a loving and forgiving God.” He continued on to say that unless gay and lesbians “repented” they would face the wrath of a “merciless and ruthless God”.

Anyway, you may not be able to convince your parents not to shop there. But you could go subversive, let them know that target is not the only company that turned away SA. Get them to boycott Home Depot, Circuit City and Best Buy for the same reason.

You might even be able to get them to think about why only Target's been in the news about it. Maybe it's a hate campaign by Walmart to drive out their competition? Why else would Target be singled out, but not the others? They are the only ones in that group that compete directly against Walmart.

[peacebird]

10. the bellringers outside the grocery store are pretty much

"in your face" - all but demanding a donation, so I told her that as long as the SA actively discrimates against gays they don't get a penny from me. Regardless of the good works they might do.

She was a bit taken aback. But she hasn't bothered me since. Whatever happened to "Live and let live". "Tolerance." "Do unto others as you would have others do unto you." ?

The God i was taught about was a God of love, not hate and retribution. But then again i was taught that JUDGEMENT was God's duty, not mine.

my husband and I have decided that these fundamentalist's are Xtians, because they seem to totally ignore the teachings of Christ.

[PROGRESSIVE1]

8. Target does IN FACT give much more money to charity than....

the Salvation Army does and Target does not discriminate!

Salvation Army = Bigots
Target = Progressives

[tuvor]

9. Here's an article from WorkingForChange

Discrimination, faith-based style
The story behind the Salvation Army’s secret anti-gay discrimination plan with the president

Behind closed doors, the Salvation Army and the Bush Administration spent months working on a secret plan. In exchange for mobilizing on behalf of the president's faltering faith-based initiative, the administration would make a "firm commitment" to legislation circumventing state and local anti-discrimination measures barring discriminatory hiring practices against gays and lesbians. Revelations in the Washington Post blew the lid off that puppy. Now, the president's faith-based initiative may be jammed up for months to come.

http://www.workingforchange.com/article.cfm?ItemID=11613