More on Pro-Life “Spam”

Peter Shinn at MarchTogether.com quickly replied to my email I sent him, and seemed apologetic enough that I thought I’d at least try to give him a fair hearing. The mistake he seems to have made was in realizing that this is a tiny little weblog, and not something a little more slick and professional: I never got around to putting our email addresses on the about page, so he assumed that posting his letter on the about page was going to send me a private little note.

Here’s his reply to me:

> You can call me stupid, but I did not know my message was going to go onto your site. I thought it was going to go to you directly. Since I did not see an email link for you I sent it through the form that I found. I do this for hours every day. Most sites have email links, others use forms to receive email and some don’t allow you to contact them at all, or not without jumping through many hoops.

> I don’t advertise for any product and haven’t asked for any money. I am focused on one goal for the moment. With God’s help, end the murder of 4,000 human beings a day through Pro-Life unity.

> I send out all of our messages individually and do not use lists. I get links from other web sites, find the individual email addresses and send them out one at a time.

> MarchTogether.com is not only non-profit we are no profit. We don’t receive any money from anyone. The only way the message spreads is though people like you and me. Here are most of the sites who currently link to us:

> * Choose Life – http://www.choose-life.us/
* People Political – http://www.peoplepolitical.org/
* Tim at http://www.prolifeblogs.com has us listed in two places, blogs and organizations
* American Life League – http://www.all.org
* Blogs for Life – http://www.blogsforlife.com/
* Stop the ACLU – http://www.stoptheaclu.org/
* Pro Life with Christ – http://pro.lifewithchrist.org/
* A Certain Slant of Light – http://acertainslantoflight.blogspot.com/
* Life begins at Conception – http://www.lifebeginsatconception.com/
* Religious Tolerance – http://www.religioustolerance.org/abo_www.htm
* Eternal Perspective Ministries – http://www.epm.org/
* Christian Life Resources – http://christianliferesources.com/
* Jews for Life – http://www.jewsforlife.org
* Jill Stanek – http://www.jillstanek.com/
* Freeland – http://freelanders.blogspot.com/
* The Strata-Sphere – http://strata-sphere.com/blog/
* Culture of Life – http://cultureoflife.us/Mambo
* Pro-Life with Christ – http://pro.lifewithchrist.org/
* Defend Life – http://www.defendlife.org
* Knights of Columbus – Maryland Right to Life – http://www.knightlife.org
* St. Elizabeth Ann Seton US Coast Guard – http://www.uscg.mil/hq/chaplain/Catholic_Resources.htm
* Life Decisions International – http://www.fightpp.org/
* Joseph Pierce – http://josephpearce.blogspot.com
* Pro-Life Action League – http://www.prolifeaction.org
* Reasoned audacity – http://www.charmaineyoest.com
* Catholic City – http://www.catholicity.com/
* Mike’s Noise – http://mikesnoise.typepad.com/
* http://trofeehusband.blogspot.com/

> It’s not spam if it’s for life.

> God Bless,

> Peter

I’ll do one better: It’s probably not spam if it’s done by hand, and an oops to boot. Here’s the original post he sent:

> My name is Peter Shinn I am a Pro-Life blogger who wants to see abortion end now.

> I am the founder of The Monthly March for Life at http://www.marchtogether.com and write daily blogs at http://www.marchtogether.blogspot.com and http://www.prolifeblogs.com.

> It’s been 32 years since Roe vs Wade and abortion is still legal in America.

> It’s time for us to unite, to reinvigorate our Pro-Life message and our movement!

> The web site http://www.marchtogether.com was set up to unite us in our common cause in order to end abortion. Here are all the things we do there:

> 1. Act as a hub for proLifers to go to once a month on the first Friday of the month in order to join forces
2. List action items and alerts from other proLife movements
3. Provide MarchTogether.com graphics for flyers, posters and business cards
4. The sites helps with what to do and how to call, march and/or email our representatives

> Are you already involved in a proLife movement of some kind? That’s okay and I’m glad you are. It means you are more likely to do just a little bit more to help end abortion. If you have specific events that you want listed send them to us at events@marchtogether.com.

> What can you do?

> 1. Go to http://www.marchtogether.com and check out the site.
2. Sign up for the newsletter. We don’t sell email lists, we don’t have advertisements and we don’t sell products.
3. If you don’t want to sign up for the newsletter, remember to call, march and/or email once a month on the first Friday of the month.
4. Put up a link and the logo of the March Together web site. We will gladly reciprocate. The logo is on the main page at http://www.marchtogether.com. It fits inside a blog page on the side.
5. On the first Friday of every month encourage your visitors to join us. Put the logo in the middle of the page and put up something like:

“Call, march on a government building and/or email your representatives today! Join the Monthly March for Life to end abortion at http://www.marchtogether.com.”

6. Participate in the Monthly March for life by doing any of the above
7. Email everyone you know about this project and ask them to join us in our common goad of ending abortion

> Pass it on

> Peter

Obviously, they have a good cause, and seem to have a good program running as well. Almost I’m inclined to really get involved in a proactive sort of way with them. Unfortunately, I’m a little busy with school at the moment. Somehow this sounds something like “I’m a little to busy going to seminary to bother with protesting the pogroms,” but there it is. One does not win a war by fighting before getting prepared. On the other hand, one does not win a war by preparing without any mind for the battle, either. So:

At the very least, I’m going to see about putting a link up to their site. It would be nice if they had a graphic link, but it appears that they do not. Alas. I”m a little leery about signing up for a newsletter, mostly because, well, that’s already what I do all day. Reading a newsletter about the political action I could be taking would serve no other purpose than to remind me that I don’t have time for anything but *thinking* about action. However, I will encourage my readers (all 20 of you) to peruse through the resources Peter mentioned (both his sites and the others he talked about).

At the very least, find something you disagree with and pick a fight over it. (A *polite* fight. A mere *disagreement*, really. Honestly!)