Replies

From the "I am your child" foundation website (Reiner's message):

In addition, I Am Your Child is working to promote increased public spending on early childhood programs because if we invest more money in early childhood programs we'll save a lot of money on the other end. These public policy goals are vital to our children, our families, and to our entire society. Policy makers must increase investment in affordable quality child care; expand pre-school programs; increase commitments to early intervention programs for families at risk; and provide more resources for health programs that address not only children's nutritional and physical needs, but also their emotional needs.

Blecchh. Whatever happened to Moms and Dads?

I really appreciate the information and links provided. Here is the letter I just send Lands' End:

"Dear Lands' End,

I have shopped with your company for many years. I am dismayed that you are now engaging in political advocacy through your catalogue and website. Rob Reiner is a left-wing political advocate (are you aware he engineered Al Gore's speech earlier this year criticizing our Commander-in Chief?) and the organization for which you are soliciting funds is an extremely liberal organization. It is *not merely a charity* which helps children. If you read the information you have linked to your own website, the I Am Your Child organization advocates *increasing public funding* for things like child care and preschool. "Public funding" translates to tax dollars. My husband and I work a total of three jobs in order to care for our four children at home *ourselves*, and Mr. Reiner's organization advocates making it even harder for us to raise our own children by taking away more of our hard-earned cash to give it to others -- this is socialism, in a nutshell. I pay for my preschooler to go to preschool -- why take away my money to send someone *else's* child to preschool? You may say, "It's just a dollar or two," but a bit here and a bit there for social programs adds up to an incredibly heavy tax burden on the average working family. I am very unhappy that you are soliciting donations for a liberal organization that *attacks*, rather than supports, the American family. I will be watching your company's future conduct in this regard and make my buying decisions accordingly. You owe your customers an apology."