Dear Ms Janson,
I appreciate your response; however, I remain convinced that the Salvation Army should continue to be allowed to solicit in front of Target stores across the U.S. in that this is an American Christmas tradition.
In the early 1960s, I remember living in Memphis, Tennessee (when I was between four and six years old), with bell ringers on just about every corner, usually dressed in Santa Claus suits. Already we, as a nation, are a long way from that picturesque time; but we may at least provide an American institution, that is only charitable in nature and cause, a few places to continue that tradition.
Customers need only walk by. And, very few individuals are offended by bells ringing.
As for other solicitors, what difference does it make that they stand in front of Target? Again, all a customer need do is smile politely, say "no" firmly, and walk into your store.
As it stands at present, I am not able to enter your store. I miss Target.
Sincerely yours,
Val
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3 comments:
For years my wife and I have given $ per year to the Salvation
Army. We stopped doing that when the Army negotiated with George Bush the
right to discriminate against homosexuals in its hiring policies. Too many
of our good friends, I wrote to the Army, are homosexual (one even a
minister in the Church of Christ) for us to continue to support
the charitable work of an organization which participates in such negative
social policies.
The Army took me off its list of folks from whom it solicited funds and I
have found other ways to give charitable support to my less well off
neighbors--$ to the Democratic Party in its effort to unseat the demigod
Bush.
Obviously I support Target's position and will tell them so.
Ironically the leadership of this nation is moving us toward a religiously
centered society similar to the exact kind of religiously centered society
we fear in the Muslim world and which we are struggling to prevent the Iraqi
people from electing to power if and when we allow them to hold elections
there.
I wish the super rightwing religious folk of this country would bring within
their sights some Biblically centered issues which actually make a great
difference in the quality of life of the people of this great nation--such
as gambling as an evil against which the Bible preaches, or doing unto
others as we would have them do unto us. But they seem more intent on
persecuting the homosexual population and beating their plowshares into axes
like vengeful "Old Testament" Christians.
Have a nice day.
Target, a company I've worked with several times as a marketer on their charity projects, has an impeccable record of charity and community support, from generous grants programs to the actual invention of charities such as Kids for Saving Earth and their very very successful educational school system donation programs across the country.
Their means of community and charity support far outstrip the proceeds from bell ringing. To chastise them for an obviously legally challenging situation (if they let the salvation army ring, technically in America they also have to let any nonprofit solicit...including those that would cause much more upheaval to society than the SA) doesn't seem fair to me, and actually punishes an organization that does far more with formalized corporate tithing programs than WalMart, KMart, Sears. J.C. Penny's or any other large national retail organization.
If you want to help society, it would be better to send letters to THOSE companies asking why they don't have grant programs and charitable giving rates as liberal as Target does.
I do agree with you that the Salvation Army bell ringers are a Christmas
tradition and it would be a pity to not have that as part of the shopping experience
anymore. So, I'm with you in this one.
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