Tuesday, March 6, 2007

A lot of words to ask for a few bucks


I received a packet in the mail yesterday from the Sierra Club. The packet included one of those cool clingy sticker things for the back window of my truck. It's a drawing of the silhouette of a guy backpacking along a trail with mountains in the background. The packet also included some fact sheets about Giant Sequoias and a letter.

Dear Friend,
I write you today with a disturbing update.
Despite being rebuked by the federal courts, the Bush Administration is refusing to back off its plan to log in the Giant Sequoia National Monument. In fact, they are counting on powerful pro-logging allies in Congress to allow logging in the Monument to proceed no matter what the courts say.
blah, blah, blah for four pages
Help the Sierra Club take advantage of changes in Congressional leadership by signing your petitions calling for management of the Monument to be transferred to the National Park Service -- and returning a generous contribution to support the Sierra Club and its work to help protect the Giant Sequoias for the next millennium.
blah, blah, blah for a little bit more
Sincerely,

Carl Pope
Executive Director


I'm all up for the tree hugging, but that was way too much to read if you're trying to get me to donate. Tighten it up some and get straight to the point.
Anyway, would it be wrong of me to use the sticker without donating?
But I feel guilty enough about wanting to use the sticker that they may get me as one of their $28 level memberships so I can also get the free expedition pack and bear puppet.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

And your donation might just cover the cost of that one fancy piece of mail with sticker.

I blame the companies that send out that crap on behalf of these poor organizations.

Put the sticker in your window and don't feel guilty if you don't send them anything - the sticker is intended to "create awareness", and that's more than a small donation can do.

I get weak though when the SPCA sends out their expensive bulk mail - those little puppy and kitten stickers get me to cough it up everytime.

Anonymous said...

Shouldn't an environmental group get its pitch down to a single page, not four?

Hope it was at least double-sided.