Thanks for nothing

From the Weird E-Mail Department ...

I received the following in my inbox today:

Mr. [Sinfonian],

The Central Florida Council, Boy Scouts of America would like to thank you for your support last year of $200. Please join your fellow community members in support of Scouting again in 2008.

The Scouting program continues to grow in Central Florida. Because of the support the Central Florida community, our growth insures that Scouting can assist with food drives, local community service projects and build leaders of tomorrow.

Please renew your support of Scouting.

Thank you for your support!

If you have any questions feel free to contact me. My contact information is listed below.

[Signed, local BSA district executive]

This is most curious, because I didn't give the Boy Scouts of America any money, last year or ever. In fact, I am strongly opposed to the organization because of its discriminatory stance against the GLBT community and against non-religious persons.

So, naturally, being a loud-mouthed DFH and recovering attorney, I fired off the following reply:

Mr. [District Executive],

I have no idea how I ended up on your list (unless somehow my ex-wife, who lives in Brevard County, made a gift in my name, a prospect I consider highly unlikely), but I assure you that I did not make a $200 gift to Boy Scouts of America last year. Unless and until BSA ceases its discriminatory practices against people based on their sexual orientation, I have no interest in being involved with your organization, nor will my son participate in your programs.

Please remove me and all of my contact information from your records, and please do not contact me anymore. Thank you.

'Tis a puzzlement indeed ... the only thing I can think of is that they're spamming me or, as I noted, somehow my name got mixed up with that of my ex-wife (who has kept her married name for the kids' sake). Either way, although I respect the decision of those who choose to participate in Scouting, and although my own son briefly explored it a year or so ago, I have no desire to support the Boy Scouts of America with my money or my time as long as their discriminatory practices persist.

I hope I made that perfectly clear ...