Wounded Warrior goes anti gun?

[TTS]

There has been a ton of chatter on other boards about WWP taking an anti gun stance...

Their response of FB seems to give credence to the allegations.
https://www.facebook.com/wwpinc.fans?filter=2

This sucks, I really liked them.

[Squib Joe]

I posted a year ago about this - it isn't a new policy

viewtopic.php?f=52&t=26943&hilit=wounded+warrior

[TTS]

I posted a year ago about this - it isn't a new policy

viewtopic.php?f=52&t=26943&hilit=wounded+warrior

Thanks Joe. I guess they are only now enforcing the policy or it is just now making news.

[plblark]

From Caleb at gun nuts:
http://gunnuts.net/2012/11/14/wounded-warrior-project-rejects-gun-owners/

[...]the idea was to get WWP on GunTalk on Veteran’s day to talk about the work that they do for Veterans. All around a good cause, what seemed like a good idea out of the gate. After the emails were forwarded to Tom [Gresham], he spoke directly with Wounded Warrior Project’s Public Relations Director, Leslie Coleman. Here’s the full text of Leslie’s response to Tom’s email requesting a clarification of the policy.

Good afternoon –

While we appreciate your interest in Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) you are correct that we decline the media opportunity.

Please note the following notice that appears on our website which also applies to WWP public awareness policy and inquiries from media outlets:

http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/ad ... ities.aspx

WWP does not co-brand, create cause marketing campaigns or receive a percentage or a portion of proceeds from companies in which the product or message is sexual, political or religious in nature, or from alcohol or firearms companies.

Thank you for your inquiry.

LESLIE A. COLEMAN
public relations director

[...]

Our position regarding firearms and alcohol is in response to the struggles that many injured service members face with substance abuse and suicide and the roles those items often play in those issues.

When you read through it, it kind of reads like standard PR boilerplate, but that falls apart when you do a little background research. Because Wounded Warrior Project has had no problem accepting a $50,000 donation from Kahr or accepting a portion of all of Trijicon’s retail sales from 2007. So it would seem that Wounded Warrior Project is just fine with accepting money or co-branding from firearms and accessory companies, as long as there are a sufficient number of zeroes before the decimal place on the check.

The facts reported above are quite concerning, but I’d honestly advice caution before tossing Wounded Warrior Project under the bus. I’m willing to extend the benefit of the doubt to the company that the statements made were simply the result of an ill-informed PR rep and not a reflection on internal policies of Wounded Warrior Project. I feel that the good work they’ve done for veterans of our armed forces has at the very least earned them the benefit of the doubt. I’ll be interested to see if Wounded Warrior Project issues a follow up statement now that this story has officially gone viral.

[TTS]

Updates from Facebook.... Im not sure what to make of it, sounds a lot like Recoil's responses.

First boiler plate:

Our position regarding firearms and alcohol is in response to the struggles that many injured service members face with substance abuse and suicide and the roles those items often play in those issues

Then facebook blows up and people start pulling donations....

Second Response:

Hi all, There is a ton of confusion and misinformation floating around, and we appreciate the questions and opportunity to clarify. I can definitely understand how there's a lot of confusion, especially since our initial guidance wasn't very clear about a lot of questions that follow. For those who have posted questions on the wall over the last couple of days, thanks for your continued patience- we're working on getting through the comments with more information as fast as we can.

First and foremost, I have to clarify that we are NOT anti- Second Amendment. As an organization, we don't take a stance on the issue one way or another.

Here's where I think much of the confusion starts... In the past, we made our logo available to appear on wide variety of products, including guns. As an organization, we're always looking at our decisions and evaluating whether they are good business decisions and whether we're going to continue with them in the future. In the case of weapons, we've decided that we're not going to offer our logo to appear on weapons anymore- whether they're guns, knives, bows, swords, or any other type of weapon. There are still a few of the guns floating around for sale that had licensed our logo years ago, but there aren't any new ones being made.

Now on to the question of donations and events... We DO permit fundraisers that are shooting- and gun-related, such as gun raffles, shooting competitions, etc., and we're always incredibly appreciative of those who are willing to give their time to host or participate in an event. Likewise, we gratefully accept donations from companies and individuals connected with the gun industry. Again, the with the limitation that they can't actually manufacture a weapon with our logo on it.

We also know that hunting and shooting sport events can be very therapeutic for many of the Wounded Warriors we serve, and we're happy to work with the community to make these types of events available to our Alumni. Hunting and shooting sport enthusiasts are an incredibly supportive and generous community, and we've been honored by how often folks have opened their land and homes, and volunteered their time to make these types of events possible for our Alumni.

The language on our website really hasn't helped much in straightening out all the questions everyone understandably has about these issues, and I am sorry for all the frustration and confusion. I do want to let you know that this has highlighted for us the need to take a closer look at the way we're communicating that information, and we're working as a team internally to come up with more helpful content. Thanks for your patience during the process!

[solidgun]

http://thefiringline.com/forums/showpost.php?p=5287036

Just ran into this. I am more angry that so little of the donation goes to help. I donate to many charities that help children, but veterans related donation was close 2nd. Can someone recommend something else that is national?

[xd ED]

If the15% number is accurate that is effing pathetic; 85% admin???? For an efficient charity the inverse of those numbers is about the limit: 15% admin...


Local: http://www.minnesotamilitaryfamilyfoundation.org
National w/ a local presence: http://www.fisherhouse.org

[aaron878]

If the15% number is accurate that is effing pathetic; 85% admin???? For an efficient charity the inverse of those numbers is about the limit: 15% admin...


Local: http://www.minnesotamilitaryfamilyfoundation.org
National w/ a local presence: http://www.fisherhouse.org

Not even close to accurate

http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.c ... rgid=12842

8% admin 37% fundraising and 55% to the cause

Fundraising numbers tend to get smaller as charities get more well known, Red Cross doesn't have to fundraise, because every time there's a disaster the news and every other television show does it for them.

[MNFelix]

There has been a ton of chatter on other boards about WWP taking an anti gun stance...

Their response of FB seems to give credence to the allegations.
https://www.facebook.com/wwpinc.fans?filter=2

This sucks, I really liked them.

All due respect, please explain this to me. It isn't clear to me why this is characterized as an "anti-gun stance." They aren't attacking the 2nd Amendment or the right of citizens to bear arms. They aren't pushing for AR bans, hi-cap mag bans, import bans, export bans, or legislation controlling CCW, etc. They are merely declining support from companies that make alcohol and firearms. I suppose every beer drinker in the USA should boycott this organization for their "anti-beer stance"?

Good grief. Why are so many gun enthusiasts so darn oversensitive and paranoid. It's kind of embarrassing. Where does it end?!

[TTS]

Felix,

I will have to go dig up all the things they said, they are no longer on their FB page. It is not only that they stopped accepting donations from firearms companies. They also declined to go on a firearms oriented radio show because veterans use firearms to kill themselves.

They also have a policy that prohibits them from receiving funding from pornography, but they just had a fundraiser at the Playboy Mansion...


There are plenty of other great organizations that help wounded warriors.

ETA, here is an article about it:
http://www.ammoland.com/2012/11/26/wounded-warrior-project-is-anti-gun/#axzz2DWIuXbbQ

[Dakotared]

Here is a good charity that helps the wounded

http://www.jaredallen69inc.com/h4ww/mission.html

[plblark]

If you read Tom Gresham's "no shrug" policy, it sums up how I feel about it. They essentially said they're only too happy to take our money but don't want to be publicly associated with "guns". Sure, that's a paraphrase but that's it in a nutshell. Tom Gresham has the whole show available online (Gun Talk Radio) so you can listen to their CEO for yourself. I particularly liked the part where he went on the offensive about hurting the vets and Tom replied that it doesn't mean people won't still donate, it just means they'll choose other organizations to do the work. People who aren't ashamed of associating with gun folks.