American Girls Response (to outraged parents)

email from American Girl, corporate office | October 26, 2005

[ChocChipCookie]

Dear Ms. M,

Thank you for your letter expressing your disappointment with American Girl's affiliation with Girls Inc. We apologize for the delayed response and appreciate the opportunity to reply to your concerns.

American Girl has always encouraged young girls to achieve their best. The "I CAN" program is one of the many philanthropic endeavors undertaken by our company. Our goal with "I CAN" is to help millions of girls realize that they are unique, talented, and full of amazing possibilities?while reinforcing the idea that helping others achieve is also an important part of life.

Donations raised through I CAN support three distinct programs offered by Girls Inc., our 2005 benefit partner. One builds skills in math and science (Operation SMART®), another develops leadership skills (Discovery Leadership®), and a third encourages athletic skills and a collaborative spirit (Sporting Chance®). All of these aims are appropriate to our 7- to 12-year-old audience and allow us to make a significant impact on numerous girls in high-risk, underserved areas.

We are profoundly disappointed that our purely altruistic efforts have been turned into a broader political statement on issues that we, as a corporation, have no position. As with all of the thousands of nonprofit organizations we support, our singular objective is to make a meaningful and positive difference in the lives of all young girls. This is, and will always be, our priority.

We hope this information helps provide a better understanding of the situation. Please be assured that we have noted your comments, and thank you again for sharing your concerns.

Sincerely,

American Girl® Customer Service Phone: 1-800-845-0005 or 608-831-5210 Fax: 608-828-4790 Available Monday - Sunday 7 a.m. - 10 p.m. Central Time

[FormerACLUmember]

American Girl issues it new "Aborted Baby" doll, the perfect addition to any of its grotesquely over-priced doll collections.

This anatomically correct aborable piece of faux non-viable tissue shows how a baby looks after being treated at the abortion clinic butcher shops that the American Girl company supports.

[sanemom]

"We are profoundly disappointed that our purely altruistic efforts have been turned into a broader political statement on issues that we, as a corporation, have no position."

Really. Wonder why they aren't partnering with Girls Scouts? Will they put the "service to God and country" bracelets on display next to the "it's all about me" bracelets?

[podkane]

Note that these organizations helping girls are always helping them with math, science, leadership skills, and so on but never promote being a good wife and mother. Hmmm. Are those vital roles out of fashion? If girls don't aspire to be good wives and mothers, what will happen to the country?

God help us if being a "good wife and mother", or being a "good spouse and parent" are things one has to learn - like calculus, chemistry or accounting. If those are no longer innate in us, we're doomed as a species.

[NickatNite2003]

That's Dimspeak for "We're going to continue
doing whatever offensive thing you are
complaining about, and pretend we're not
responsable for it!..like we usually do! >Bo) "

[ChocChipCookie]

American Girl brought the political angle into it when they gave their support to an organization that is obviously political.

[NickatNite2003]

Actually they are *learned things" to a great degree.
And since most Democrat sons & daughters don't have even
two good role models at home, many of them have *no clue*
about what it means, and what are the responsabilities
of being a good spouse, parent, and married member of
a community. And yes...*that's why, Divorce is so
rampant, dissilusoment with marriage so great, and so
many, *more children grow to adults, without ever
learning to *be* adults, or how to have a caring and
nurturing relationship with a life partner, ort with
their own children...too busy being "friends" or
rivals, to do what needs to be done, until they
burn out, and don't care anymore at all...*further*
broken homes..*more* Dimocrat "Me-ism" defectives.

[ChocChipCookie]

My 6 yo dd went through that catalog and circled everything she wanted. I'll have to hide it/toss it when she's not looking. What I'm finding out, is that AG is really no big deal to us. There are very nice dolls out there, lots of historical books for girls to choose from. We'll live.

[little jeremiah]

Considering how many kids have one parent at home, one they rarely see, come home to an empty house, get shuttled between one home and the remarried other parent's, live with step parents, or a series of mom's boyfriends, and the like - I think some lessons in motherhood (and fatherhood) would be in order.

Add to that the fact that many families never or rarely sit down to eat dinner together! Being a good wife and mother (or husband and father) are learned; and if not learned at home, the ill lesson will be visited upon the next generation.

Additionally, feminism holds being a wife and mother in contempt, and push girls into non-traditional roles as much as possible, as though the world needs more female physicists and fewer female mothers. Or as though being a good wife and mother is not "fulfilling", whereas being a female CEO is.

[BykrBayb]

That's sick. And right on target.

[Albion Wilde]

American Girl issues it new "Aborted Baby" doll, the perfect addition to any of its grotesquely over-priced doll collections.

Nice one!

[BykrBayb]

Loving your children is automatic, or should be. But there is more to good parenting than that. Good parenting involves a lot of learned skills, as well as learned morals. Traditionally we have learned from our parents, other relatives, friends, etc. The good examples aren't in plentiful supply like they used to be.

[Calpernia]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=americangirl
Previous Coverage of American Girl

[Calpernia]

Thanks for the ping!

[podkane]

And since most Democrat sons & daughters don't have even two good role models at home, many of them have *no clue* about what it means, and what are the responsabilities of being a good spouse, parent, and married member of a community...

I'm sorry I don't buy the excuses... my homelife was far FAR from ideal, but grew up as a far more responsible adult than kids I knew from the so-called "Christian" and "respectable" homes.

In general, there is a culture of materialism in this society, a sense of entitlement, a sense of never having to be uncomfortable, that people are infected with. And it isn't limited to Dems.

And it isn't because "Mothers are working". My mother worked , and so did both grandmothers. The first ME generation was raised by doting, stay-at-home moms in the 50s.

As long as our culture is dominated by consumerism, commercialism, a tidal wave of assault from marketing specialists, in all media, in schools, home, theaters, etc. we are going to be rolling in self-indulgence - and the overall message kids pick up is to demand, demand, demand!

[Diago]

I'm going to fax American Girl a copy of that photo in the morning!

Fax: 608-828-4790

[BykrBayb]

Then I guess you won't mind if I do the same?

[Diago]

Then I guess you won't mind if I do the same?

Please do. As I have said before, this is a very big test of the strength of the pro-life movement in the market place. It has already gotten a great deal of publicity; and so, if we can win this one, companies will be reluctant to give money to the pro-aborts. If we lose, companies will ingnore us and fund the pro-deathers. Speak up and spread the message.

[freekitty]

I wouldn't touch this organization with a 10 foot pole. They are just following their own agenda and it is not to help American girls.

[FormerACLUmember]

Please throw in my "advertising copy" from post 21. That should make the greedy corporate heads at American Girl collectively spin!

[Nowhere Man]

Note that these organizations helping girls are always helping them with math, science, leadership skills, and so on but never promote being a good wife and mother. Hmmm. Are those vital roles out of fashion? If girls don't aspire to be good wives and mothers, what will happen to the country?

Also on the other side of the coin, we need to promote the idea of being a good husband and father in men too. I might be having a Michael Savage moment here but if we don't fight to preserve the moral foundations along with the basic traditional ways of life that has made this country great such as family values and so on, we do deserve to lose to whatever comes along. The first priority in anything is our survival, if we don't do that, we will lose anyhow. We will be ourbred by the Third World and the Islamo-Fascists while chasing the "bling" (goodies of a hedonistic lifestyle, a word from the hip-hop subculture) with unbridled greed. I remember Glenn Beck talked about this on his show a few times to where we are too busy being ultra-consumers as the expense of family and so on and I think this plays into all of this as well. I remember Beck said that on average, we were better off under the type of America we had under the 48 star flag and I have to agree with him.

Sure, I have nothing against anyone and everyone learning things like math and science and so on. One needs to know how to think logically as well as have basic job skills to fall back on, but it should be taught in tandem with family values and skills.