Pro-life girls vs. 'American Girl'
Posted on 11/27/2005 6:38:45 AM PST by Diago
Pro-life girls vs. 'American Girl'
Other pro-life groups supporting the League's boycott are Priests for Life, Operation Rescue, Stand True Ministries, Aid for Women and Illinois Right to Life.
But there are dissenters. One of those questioning the prudence of the boycott is Tom Sheridan, editor and general manager of the Catholic New World, newspaper for the Archdiocese of Chicago.
In his Nov. 20, 2005 column, Sheridan writes:
For background, some evangelical Christians — and Catholic pro-lifers including the Chicago-based Pro-Life Action League — have slammed the heretofore squeaky clean American Girl dolls because the firm, through its corporate philanthropy, has supported an unconnected group, Girls, Inc. That organization, formerly called the Girls' Clubs of America, states on its Web site support for abortion rights.
Hence the noisy boycott and recent picketing at the American Girl Place in Chicago.
Which may be the wrong thing for all the right reasons....
Boycotts can be an effective way to publicize a perceived wrongdoing. But when such actions don't seem to have been thought through, the process can appear misguided. That won't help.
If the protestors are truly offended by American Girl's corporate giving, Barbie should be a worthwhile target. Or Fisher-Price's Little People. Or even those Rock'em Sock'em robots. I mean, go for the headquarters....
Joe Scheidler, national director of the Pro-Life Action League, responded to Sheridan's column as follows:
Unfortunately, some people don't seem to be able to figure out why we are opposed to a clean organization like American Girl, just because they have asked our little girls to help support an organization that supports abortion and perversion. They can't make the connection, and it's difficult to get them to understand that a little evil is a lot of evil, that half a truth is a whole lie, that funding an abortion supporter is supporting abortion, and that remaining silent is cowardly. Those who remain silent in the face of evil condone that evil....
For instance, it will be hard to convince even a good guy like Tom Sheridan ... that our boycott of American Girl is not what he calls it: a 'caricature,' a 'noisy boycott,' 'the wrong thing,' showing 'ignorance about corporate America,' 'not thought through,' 'misguided,' casting 'too wide a net,' making us 'lose respect,' and raising 'more questions than it solves.'
All that ranting against the League for protesting the fact that little girls are being conned into supporting a pro-abortion outfit....
But we're glad Mr. Sheridan aired his views, wrong as they are. It gives Ann [Scheidler, the League's executive director] a chance to explain to New World readers why we are boycotting American Girl. If the New World runs her letter, its readers will be informed and may join our noble and well thought out effort to sever the bond between American Girl and Girls, Inc....
A protest was held in front of the American Girl store in downtown Chicago on Nov. 25, 2005. The following are photos of the protest.
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ping!
Excellent post! Those dolls have been a big part of my daughters' lives. I'm forwarding this onto "Nana" - just pulling her and grandpa out of the "American Girl" shopper list should result in at least a one-point drop in revenue for the company.
I never realized how popular these dolls were with pro-life families until this scandal hit. I know at least three large families with "Hall of Fame coupon clipping Moms" who nevertheless have shelled out the nearly $100 for these dolls. My wife says they now feel kind of relieved that they can get back on budget!
I am not sure the pro-deathers will be able to make up for the lost sales to pro-lifers who have more kids and are more likely to buy dolls for their daughters.
As info, Vision Forum (visionforum.com) offers dolls with books...very nice and in no way indecent. :o)
Thank you for posting this resource. We'll need a substitute. We have a couple AG dolls, and I spent about $400 in their store last summer. I won't do that again unless they change their association with Girl's Inc.
Since money is usually the motivator; American Girl will most likely bankrupt itself; since most Americans do not want to be associated with America haters.
You can count my wife among them. She was furious since she'd started our granddaughter on them with Bitty Baby. She says she knew they were overpriced, but was ok paying the price since the activity was so wholesome. Last Christmas, we got our granddaughter Samantha and for this year my wife had already bought her Marisol and Nellie's Irish Dancing Dress to make sure they would be here in time for Christmas. My wife was so angry about this whole thing, she returned them and was able to get an Irish Dancing dress from a small website online and then she picked up another doll from Target who wears the same size clothes. She was able to save more than $50 in the process.
Just visited VISION FORUM. VISIONFORUM.COM,
is amazing. I just emailed my entire database about them.
Be sure to check out their..
Film Festival
League of Grateful Sons
Webblog
Thanksgiving Stories
Doll Catalogue
Books
Toys
I doubt they'll bankrupt themselves, however, I hope the sales have slowed enough to have made an impact. I'd like to see the CEO replaced.
I could see this coming when AG sold to Mattel. For collector reasons, we were happy we had most of the original pre-Mattel collection.
Too bad. Go to VISION FORUM. You will be blessed.
The selfish side of me cheers that possibility. That way, the four AG dolls from her childhood that my adult daughter still owns will increase in value immediately. If she chooses to sell them, she could make quite a haul.
Amazing site, huh? :OD
Oh...and...the Tiggywinkle's will be attending the film festival next October. :o)
Excellent article. Thanks!
Agreed. We were buying quite a bit of AG stuff until that happened.
Notice that they established their buyer base before revealing their true colors--a new twist on the old bait-and-switch, this time aimed at the innocence of our youngsters.
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