A sampling of junk mail to Republican friends

Mar 2 15:22 UTC 2006

We have a couple of older friends who believe in creationism and therefore
vote Republican.  They also donate to all sorts of charities, and as a result
get about 20 pieces of junk mail every day from various other organizations
asking for money.  I took home 10 or so to try to get them off those lists.
They donate to environmental organizations (wildlife, etc.) and she thinks
that got the Democrats interested in them, but most of what they are getting
is far-right stuff.  They also get the usual 'Money Mailer' with local pizza
coupons, and 'Save on Everything' with a daily winning number, sent to
resident.

Here is what they did NOT want that was sent to their names:
1.  Human Rights Watch :  Your Personalized Labels are Enclosed.  (This is
to make you feel like you have to send them something in compensation).  Black
on white with a few photos, four pages, aimed at someone who can read well.
This must be the 'Democrat' junk mail.  No Postage Necessary but
pseudo-handwriting asking them to use their own stamp.  A blurb about their
3 star rating from Charity Navigator.   No 800 number to get off the list,
but they do give a phone number to call if you want to donate securities.
The envelope is clearly labelled as to who sent it out.

2.  Small grey unmarked envelope with 13 cents US Postage.
Inside two fake checks for $15 and $20, which you are supposed to return with
your own checks for that amount to 'Feed the Children' Emergency Food
Distribution.  
Your gift to help feed them with go EIGHT TIMES FURTHER.  (They don't explain
how this works).  They have a non-800 number at www.HelpKidsNow.org.  Oklahoma
City.  They don't explain why these people are not getting food stamps and/or
welfare.  
Somehow your $15 gift will help rush $120 worth of food to the hungry
children.  I wonder why they don't put their return address on the envelope.

3.  Return address 'Walter Cronkite'.  Our friend seemed familiar with this
one.  She passed me all the no-return-address envelopes without opening them.
In pseudo-handwriting:  Your first class postage will increase your
contribution' to Drug Policy Alliance in Washington DC.  They are after 'Both
Liberal and Conservative' donors.  "We need to at least consider and examine
forms of controlled legalization of drugs".  They seem to be against this War,
though their name does not betray this fact.  You can sent back a card with
prechosen amounts and 'Mr. Cronkite, I Agree!  The War on Drugs is a failure.
Our country needs drug policies based on science, compassion and human
rights' to New York.    I think what they want to do is legalize marijuana
or reduce the penalties for it.  Is this Democrats trying to get money from
Republicans by sneaking past them the equivalent of no-subject, no-from-line
spam?

4.  Next is one from 'Lawsuit Dismissal Enclosed Re:  Pending Lawsuit' with
nonprofit postage.    The return envelope is the first NOT to provide free
postage.  Homeland Security Petition Enclosed.  Send your money to 'Defense
Against Muslic Islamic Terrorism, a Project of Christian Action Network' in
Virginia.   Typed with lots of pseudo double underlining in blue.  They want
to stop the ACLU from suing Bush and the NSA to stop them from using a secret
electronic surveillance program begun shortly afte rhte 9-11-01 terrorists
attacks'
THEY WANT OUR ENEMY TO KNOW HOW WE TRACK THEM!.....  all under the guise of
protecting civil liberties but at the risk of killing thousands of men, women
and children.  THIS IS INSANE!.... As a husband, father, grandfather and
taxpaying citizen -- THIS MAKES MY BLOOD BOIL!

Send your checks to DAM-IT in Forest VA.
They include the first page of a couple of articles (source not given) on '
Two groups sue over NSA wiretap' and 'ACLU Files Suit to BLock NSA Spying'.

These groups are claiming that Bush's wiretapping is unconstitutional.  Bush
claims congress authorizing him to 'use force in the fight against terrorism'
which lets him do things unconstitutionally.  In pseudo-handwriting:  'Dear
Friend, check out these articles.....God bless, Marty'.  But they don't tell
you were to read the articles in full.

I wonder who is paying for this campaign.

These people are also anti-abortion, anti separation of church and state,
antipornography, and anti 'anti-American'.

WE MUST STOP THE ACLU'S LAWSUIT BEOFER IT KILLS US!
No phone number provided.  Not even a URL to write to get off their list.

5.  White envlope with 13 cents postage in upper right 'mailed from zip code
24551' and black triangle around the margins 'presorted standard' too small
to read easily, with American Eagle.  Another mystery sender.  This one uses
pseudo yellow marker instead of blue underline.   'the basic freedom to "Pray
in the name of Jesus is now being DENIED to military chaplains ministering
to our brave troops'.  They are also being denied the right to 'Speak out
against mandatory attendance at a homosexual-led religious service'.  

Are there mandatory religious services in the military????

Send your money to Dr. Jerry Falwell, Liberty Alliance, P. O. Box... Forest
Virginia.  (The address sounds familiar - see number 4).
Anti Christan forces like the ACLU, Americans United for the Separation of
Church and State,,,,atheists and the liberal media..are bringing incredibel
pressure to bear on the military to censor chaplains.  

I know our President prays in the name of Jesus and supports the rights of
our troops to do the same.....

No URL, of course.  Send your checks to the Moral Majority Coalition (with
your own stamp of course).  

6.  From American Sovereignty First.  They paid not 13 but 11.3 cents postage,
and mailed from Herndon VA.  What to Do About the United Nations!  On yellow
envlope.  a time sensitive poll.  Please place stamp here.  Send this in to
present Bush with a cross-section of 'mainstream public opinion' on whether
the UN poses a serious threat to the sovereignty of the US.  Should they have
any say over what we do with our parks.  Do you support a proposal in the UN
Biodiversity Convention that would force each state to make 50% of all US land
into wilderness areas?  (Note that they don't say such a proposal actually
exists or how it could possibly be implemented).   

They claim the US taxpayers pay 25% of UN operating costs, and that the UN
international criminal court claims to have supreme judicial authority in the
world superseding even the US Supreme Court.  (How would they possibly act
if they had no superseding authority???)

Send your poll ot the American Policy Center, and $29 will aslo get you a DVD
showing how Sustainable Development is indoctrinating children in the
classroom and How to fight back and stop Sustainable Development.  Tom's style
is non-technical and easy to understand.  Reduce the federal role in
educationa nd return control to local schools.  Prevent federal data banks
from intruding in teh personal lives of Americans.  (This place is obviously
not related to the one trying to stop the ACLU).

Also send your membership checks to freedom21.com if you support 'the ideals
of liberty'.

I am going to have to be rather creative to get them off of these mailing
lists - no phone numbers, no URL in most cases, no prepaid envelopes.

7.  A very big envelope from 'Help Wounded Heroes', presorted standard (not
a non-profit), with a nickel to get you to open it.  DC. Fake handwriting 
from someone living in a PO BOx in DC renovating their house in Wisconsin.
The money goes towards a national advertising and lobbying campaign.  They
admit to not being a nonprofit.  The main message is in extra-large print,
perhaps aimed at WWII veterans with failing vision?  You should help the
wounded soldiers who went to Iraq to protect us from terroritst.  (That is
probably what most of them thought they were actually doing at the time).

Pressure Congress to pass legislation to help our severely injured war
veterans, and also provide emergency groceries and rent.  (Are these people
not eligible for food stamps either?). 

Please send $20 or if you send $100 God bless you.    Or $2,500.

I wonder what percentage of the money collected goes to pay the salaries of
the people collecting it.

Place Stamp Here.  POBox.  On the back of one form I actual foundtheir phone
number, in Kansas, in small print.  Send checks to DC.

I found it scary to read some of these pages.  There are sure to be people
who believe what is written.

response 2 of 42:

Mar 2 16:20 UTC 2006

If you read closely, you would notice that most of the above do not prepay
their envelopes.  Human Rights Watch does.  I have discovered that returning
junk mail has no effect - they don't read what you return.  You have to phone
or email.  World Wildlife Fund refused to stop sending junk mail to someone
who used to live here about 10 years ago until I phoned.  His alumni
association would not stop until I told them he was dead.  

I emailed the 'Contact Us' at most of these sites.  Feed the Children provides
an 800 number, but hides their email address in javascript not accessible even
with links (which does minimal javascript).  

Help WOunded Heroes is registered in Wisconsin (tho the mail came from DC)
and has no website, but they gave their non-800 number in the mailing.

The 'United Nations Survey' from American Policy Center has no website.  This
center is not mentioned ANYWHERE on the web, nor is American Sovereignty
First, meaning they are not a registered organization.  I see no way to get
rid of them.  They are the only yellow envelope.  I wonder who is paying for
these mailings on 'America's Poll'.  

Human Rights Watch and Feed the Children are obviously legitimate and
non-partisan, as is the Drug Policy place (though they are hiding their
identity).  One of them promised never to sell your address (but they have
no compunctions about buying it in the first place).  

One place bragged about its 3 star rating.  Feed the CHildren is 4 star.
Nobody mentioned what the maximum star number can be.

response 4 of 42:

Mar 2 17:37 UTC 2006

"non-partisan" does not mean "spewing the GOP party line".

<twenex throws his hands up in disgust>

It... it's like talking to a KLINGON!

Oh, wait...

response 6 of 42:

Mar 2 18:43 UTC 2006

It is the folks who call on the telephone who get on my nerves. 
Apparently charities and political parties are allowed to call people 
on the national do-not-call list. I had an interesting chat with a guy 
from the Sierra Club who woke me up. I said that when I get called at 
home, it makes me so mad that I sometimes rush out and deforest as much 
land as I can or at the very least never contribute to their cause 
again. I mean, if I had known that sending a contribution to the Sierra 
Club would mean constant harrassment I never would have sent them 
anything. 

response 8 of 42:

Mar 2 18:58 UTC 2006

I still get calls every few months from some FOP organization saying 
they still didn't get the $15 I promised in 2004. I just say "let me 
check into that, can hold on?", then I put them on hold and wait to see 
how long it takes for them to hang up.

response 10 of 42:

Mar 2 19:24 UTC 2006

Hey, great idea...

response 12 of 42:

Mar 2 19:54 UTC 2006

I've been told (though not experienced this myself) that there are businesses
that won't accept checks without your name printed on them.

response 14 of 42:

Mar 2 20:27 UTC 2006

Re #12: yes, but usually those are businesses where you are writing a check
in person, which is something of a rarity these days.

response 16 of 42:

Mar 2 20:48 UTC 2006

Thanks for posting this, Sindi.  It's easier to see how people come to
opinions that you disagree with if you see what they're being constantly
exposed to.

response 18 of 42:

Mar 3 00:02 UTC 2006

 re #12, 14:  I almost never pay by check except when I am (a) dealing
 with someone I know personally, or (b) mailing the check away to a 
 distant recipient.  I've never had anyone refuse my check in the former
 case and in the latter case by the time they receive it it's usually a
 little late to ask me to write my social security number, ATM PIN, and
 genetic profile on it the way many retailers want you to..

response 20 of 42:

Mar 3 02:22 UTC 2006

This is interesting.  When a private group sends a solicitation letter
asking you to send money for a particular cause you to which you may
voluntarily contribute, it is offensive and you can choose to ignore it.
When the government sends you a tax bill to fund some boondoggle public
transit program you're not going to use or benefit from, you have to pay
it whether you like it or not, that is totally acceptable.  RW, where is
the outrage?

response 22 of 42:

Mar 3 04:30 UTC 2006

I don't see roads as a waste, because they are necessary to our
transportation infastructure. Without roads, food would get from the
train yards and airport to your grocer's freezer.

response 24 of 42:

Mar 3 05:26 UTC 2006

The trams still need a public right-of-way, which amounts to a road.
Besides, you wouldn't want to own a piece of property with no road 
access.  Even if you personally never use a motor vehicle, you would
occasionally need a road so that moving trucks and furniture delivery
and utility maintenance and garbage trucks could get there.  But I
guess that if you're willing to live without electricity, water, sewer
(no septic tank either, you need a road in order to access the
equipment required to install one), gas, garbage pick-up, and pretty
much every other modern convenience then it's worth a shot.