Posted on 10/15/2005 4:57:42 PM PDT by ermmt
Dear sirs and madams -
As I look at my daughters' collections of a total of 4 AG dolls, Bitty Baby, Coconut, Licorice and many, many clothes and accessories, I now feel sorrow instead of joy.
Toys that were meant to enhance their femininity and girlhood are now shrouded with the despicable choice of an organization American Girl has aligned itself with.
My daughters monthly have gone to AG Club meetings at a Christian book store. Lots of her homeschooled friends begin studying periods of history through the AG books.
I never expected nor found all that the company does to meet up with all of my personal convictions or beliefs. Yet, it seems that you should realize that much of your consumer base is at least moderately conservative and would be absolutely offended with your support of an organization that promotes abortion and lesbianism as wonderfully normal life choices. I am quite positive that there are many organizations that provide help and support to girls without beliefs that are truly deviant from mainstream America.
You owe an apology to your customers and a change in your charity. Along with that, you may wish to eliminate the poor marketing folks who thought that supporting Girls Inc. was a good idea and get some people in that will continue the honorable ideals previously promoted.
Kristen XXXXXX Mom to three real American girls - Aleesha, Amanda and Anneliese
Let's keep up the pressure.
Yeah, and that was written by the President of the organization who is in MAJOR CYA mode.
the girls club have been on the feminist side of most debates for decades. In spite of this they do a lot of good. They have sponsorship from litterally hundreds of corpoations from Bath and Body Works, Time Warner, Paramount, ABC, CBS and many more.
Are we going to boycott them all? or just this doll company?
Well, we can't boycott everyone or we won't be able to buy anything anywhere! But we can sure let a company know that a particular product being marketed to raise funds for a particular group is a bad judgment call!! American Girl has already modified their web page, perhaps in response to the feedback, and the "I Can" band is not displayed as prominantly. The really sad thing about Girls Inc. is they cater to low-income girls, and instead of empowering them to break out of poverty it appears they are encouraging them to get pregnant, kill their babies and then see where they are with life. And that doesn't really help a woman progress.
Already boycotting the corporations mentioned in your complaint post.
BTTT!
There are a lot more corporate sponsors... many do a lot more to help Girls Inc than American Girl does. Do we really want to divide the whole economy in two?
"Microsoft Announces $100 Million Gift to Boys & Girls Clubs of America"
http://www.charitywire.com/charity26/00950.html
"The partnership, which included a donation of $2.5 million by Major League Baseball, resulted in more than $16 million in direct and indirect support for Boys & Girls Clubs of America."
http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/mlb/official_info/community/bgca.jsp
"US SECRET SERVICE PARTNERSHIP WITH THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB OF AMERICA"
http://www.secretservice.gov/partner_bagc.shtml
"The J.M. Smucker Company Announces Boys & Girls Clubs of America as Official Charity for Smucker's Stars On Ice"
http://www.charitywire.com/charity26/03285.html
Picking on a toy company for supporting Girls Clubs/Girls inc. is just going to look petty. If we really want a cultural war we should go after the government and fortune 50 since they almost all support the Boys and Girls clubs. But we should be prepared for every conservative company to be subject to retaliation.
They want our dollars they can think twice before they determine that it's good business to degrade society.
Since neither I nor anyone else knows what Attorney General (or whatever)
dolls are.. or cares.. your sorrow is yours alone. Roll in it.
Please note that toys do not make policy or vote.
Thank you.
We now return you to serious adult programming.
It's funny how many organizations get their info from Free Republic. From the NYTimes via SFGate.com:
Conservatives turn on dollmaker that had been their darling
American Girl is helping group that backs legal abortion
David Crary, New York Times
Saturday, October 15, 2005
Samantha Small gazed at American Girl dolls for sale in N...
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New York -- American Girl, manufacturer of a highly popular line of dolls and children's books, has become the target of conservative activists threatening a boycott unless the toy maker cuts off contributions to a youth organization that supports abortion rights and acceptance of lesbians.
The protest is directed at an ongoing American Girl campaign in which proceeds from sales of a special "I Can" wristband help support educational and empowerment programs of Girls Inc., a national nonprofit organization that describes its mission as "inspiring girls to be strong, smart and bold."
American Girl, whose often patriotic products have long had a loyal following among conservatives, issued a statement Friday defending its support of Girls Inc. and assailing the protest.
"We are profoundly disappointed that certain groups have chosen to misconstrue American Girl's purely altruistic efforts and turn them into a broader political statement on issues that we, as a corporation, have no position," the statement said.
The Mississippi-based American Family Association, in a campaign started Wednesday, is urging its members to demand that American Girl halt support for Girls Inc., which it called "a pro-abortion, pro-lesbian advocacy group."
"Let American Girl know they are making a terrible mistake," said a statement by Don Wildmon, chairman of the American Family Association, which says it has more than 2.2 million members.
The Pro-Life Action League, a Chicago-based anti-abortion group, also is asking supporters to contact American Girl to express dismay. Executive director Ann Scheidler, said the organization might call for a boycott of American Girl's products and organize picketing at its stores in Chicago and New York if the company does not sever ties with Girls Inc.
American Girl, a subsidiary of Mattel Inc., said the "I Can" initiative supported three specific Girls Inc. programs: building girls' skills in science and math, developing leadership skills and encouraging athletic skills and team spirit.
"All of these aims are appropriate to our 7- to 12-year-old American Girl fans," the company said. "The American Girl brand exemplifies the values of wholesomeness and responsibility that we would expect any organization to commend."
Girls Inc., which traces its roots to a center founded in Waterbury, Conn., in 1864, serves about 800,000 girls a year, many of them black or Latino and most from low-income families.
The "advocacy" page on its Web site lists some of the positions that roused conservative ire -- for example, a clear endorsement of the 1973 Roe vs. Wade court decision establishing a woman's right to abortion.
Girls Inc. also supports a girl's right to have access to contraception and pledges support for girls dealing with issues of sexual orientation.
Joyce Roche, president of Girls Inc., said the New York-based organization had never before been targeted by a protest campaign.
"We were taken aback," she said in a telephone interview Friday. "Our programs are well respected. We're all about helping girls see possibilities and dream big dreams."
Girls Inc. takes positions on public policy issues if it believes women's rights and opportunities are at stake, Roche said. "Our philosophy is that women should have the right to make decisions about themselves," she said.
One of the protest coordinators, American Family Association special projects director Randy Sharp, said the campaign is noteworthy because American Girl's products have long been favored by conservatives. Its dolls include a series from eras of American history -- such as Felicity, from the Revolutionary War, or Addy, who escapes from slavery during the Civil War.
"American Girl has won the trust of millions of conservative families," Sharp said. "Now, we find they're teaming up with Girls Inc., which supports the very things we oppose. It's very troubling."
I could be wrong, and I hope someone will correct me if I am, but Girls, Inc. is NOT the same as Girls (and Boys) Clubs of America.
Totally different entities.
Regards,
No thank you.
Christmas holidays are coming, it would be a great idea to find alternative sources of gifts for our daughters.
I'm not suggesting you don't speak out about your principles.
I am talkng about effective tactics. If most major corporations in the U.S. sponsor the Girls Clubs and you start a boycott that only hits a toy company that makes relatively conservative dolls you are just asking to make things worse rather than better.
What she said!
The complaints have already brought a response from the company.
We don't need to support companies that degrade our society.
Hopefully you are rignt. I will happily admit I was wrong if that is the case.
But some of the chapters have names like this
"Boys & Girls Club/Girls Inc. of Pueblo County & Lower Arkansas Valley
Pueblo CO, 81004-2643
Telephone: 719.564.0055
Web Site(s):
http://www.bgc-gi.org"
I should amend my statement: I don't think Girls, Inc. is affiliated with Girls Clubs of America ANYMORE. IIRC, they split in the early 90s.
I think the official name is now Boys/Girls Clubs of America.
Regards,
I always thought these dolls were overpriced. Glad I never bought them. Kids never play with all the other dolls they have.
Interesting. I just went to the Girls Club of America site, and in their "who are we" section, they say the club started out as Girls, Inc., but that the name changed in 1990. No mention as to why.
Just trying to make sure the complaints are aimed at the correct target....
Regards,
You are missing the point. AG markets itself as wholesome, age appropriate products for girls. The parents have been paying a lot (too much, really) for the image, and for the convenience of knowing their girls can participate in this company's products without having to worry that there will be anything unseemly on its website or in its books, etc. Parents trusted this company with their daughters.
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