This is the mailer I received from MoveOn yesterday. Should I feel all warm and fuzzy knowing that I'm an excellent voter? Thing is - I already knew that. Some poor tree died a redundancy induced death on my account.
As it happens, I went to the post office with an elderly woman yesterday. She got one of these, too. Here's the email I sent MoveOn, as a result:
Dear Move On,
I received my voter report card from you in today's mail. I am rated as an excellent voter, which is no surprise to me. I'm a writer and an activist, and I vote.
I'm also a part time caregiver for an elderly woman. I drove her to the post office today, and she got her voter report card. She's classified as a "good" voter, because she hasn't voted in the last few elections. In the last 5 years, she's had a stroke from which she's never fully recovered from. She was forced to close her business. She doesn't know what year it is most of the time. She has dementia - and she has no business voting.
You have no idea why people aren't voting. Sending out blanket report cards to everyone means that some people, like my elderly friend are being hurt, needlessly, by your organization.
I have to tell you, I think this sucks. I've watched this woman go from being a successful artist and business owner to being someone who can't remember to get up to use the toilet. Every time we go somewhere, someone who knows her greets her effusively - and she's canny enough to fake it, but she can't remember who they are. Some days that really depresses her. She didn't need another reminder of what she isn't any more from Move On. My advice to you is simple: don't ever do this again.
Susan Bruce
Their response:
Susan,
We're terribly sorry for sending our mailing to your client. Obviously, it's not appropriate for her situation.
Please accept our sincere apologies for the mistake.
Voter Report Card
Washington, DC
I guess I was hoping for a "yeah, we screwed up, we shouldn't have done this", or a "we screwed up and shouldn't have done it this way." Or even a "we're going evaluate this project based on the mail we're getting."
So much for my hopes.
MoveOn lost me a long time ago. This was an organization that began in response to the invasion and subsequent occupation of Iraq. In 2008 they endorsed Barack Obama for president, despite his campaign promise to escalate the war in Afghanistan. As an anti-war group they lost all credibility with that endorsement.
I hope they hear from a lot of people who weren't thrilled to get that voter report card.
I haven't seen this mailer and hope I don't either. I agree wholeheartedy about MoveOn.org which disappointed me deeply when they endorsed war per Obama. Anti-war is just that. There are no grey areas - period. Hope your friend is well today and you too.
ReplyDeleteI am 60 years old. I have lived through too many elections of negative campaigns on TV, I have lost the utility of MY telephone because of endless political crap calls- there is no place to hide.
ReplyDeleteIs this democracy? If it is, maybe I don't want any anymore. This Move On garbage is the last straw. I voted in every election since I could. These idiots sent my son a card complaining he voted only 1 time in the last 5 elections. He is away at school. He votes by absentee ballot, and this year he voted early.
I am so inspired to never vote again. I don't give a damn what my neighbors do in the voting booth and it is NOBODY'S business what I do, and if I even show up.
The head of this org is proud he is getting in people's heads. Move on is not fighting for democracy. They are fighting for mind control. Well, I think we should fight them. They should be ashamed of themselves.