Wounded Warrior Project rejects gun-owners, gun organizations, gun manufacturers

[geargnasher]

Very disturbing. The only thing that concerns me is the tone of Mr. Gresham's last two communications above, they seem sort of 'loaded', no pun intended of course. I wouldn't draw any conclusions until seeing written policy from WWP, or having communications with the president of the board.

I have a friend who followed the yellow footprints three years ago and was promptly blown up by an IED in Afghanistan, took him a year to learn how to walk again. WWP paid for his mother to fly to Hawaii from Texas twice to visit him and support him through not only healing, but through an ugly divorce on her rare breaks from working as a full-time school teacher and martial arts instructor. They paid some other things, too, I don't know the full extent, but she was in tears telling me how much they helped them both through this. This is my only real impression of the organization, just a second-hand impression that they can do a whole lot of good, as I'm sure other similar organizations are.

I say this because, like Geraldo pointed out above, the best solution to this issue might just be to lean really hard on them to get the facts, and go true Not-For-Profit if they're indeed skimming so much off the top as it appears. I'm not all about cutting off heads or boycotting a good, if somewhat confused, organization.

Now I AM ready to cut ties with the US as a state, but that's different. We've been trying to fix the issues there for years and years and it just keeps getting worse. There is no other option in that instance, but some things can still be changed to be more agreeable and just rather than destroyed.

Gear

[Roundnoser]

I did some digging around, and found a couple of news articles about this. I have sent an E-mail to WWP asking for clarification, and forwarded a copy to Bill Oreilly (I know he is a big contributor to this fund). Maybe if some of the big donors, and some of us "little people" make enough stink, they will abandon what is a very stupid and insulting policy. I am an 8-year Army (Infantry) vet, and served a combat tour in SW Asia. This policy should be an insult to any service members or their families...especially those who sacrificed life or limb.

There is no need for them to be political. I find it glaringly ironic that American soldiers and sailors fight for our freedoms, which includes the 2nd Amendment, but the WWP excludes groups that exercise those rights!(???) Very pathetic.

[WILCO]

Not sure what to say about this one. It is obviously a worthy cause tainted by an asinine policy.

Should we support the cause or not? Dunno.....

I'll vote with my wallet and pass on this group.

[snuffy]

Developing story;

http://www.examiner.com/article/woun...bbing-gun-talk

http://professionaloutdoormedia.org/node/7384

The second link seems to be a carefully worded apology, well almost! We'll see. If they do indeed bring a guest of Tom Gresham's show, he/she had better choose his/her words carefully. They have a lot of repair work to do! Thier reputation has been badly damaged.

I'm in a wait-and-see mode. I haven't stopped my donations-----YET. I'll try to find Tom's show on my radio, then remember to listen on Sunday.

[Recluse]

When they publicly--and on the record in their by-laws--change their "We want your money but we don't want to be associated or seen with you" policy, then and only then will I even THINK about reconsidering whether or not to put them on the list of charities we support.

They blew it with our family big time.

[crabo]

I get paid once a month and pay all my bills and donations at the first. I glad I have a couple of weeks to see if my contributions are going to continue or not.

[Recluse]

Leslie A. Coleman
Public Relations Director
Wounded Warrior Project

Ms. Coleman:

Given Wounded Warrior Project's recent "coming out of the closet" in regards to gun-manufacturers, gun-organizations and guns in general, and compounded by an Obama-like non-response response to legitimate inquiries and direct questioning about WWP's all-take and no-give relationship with the gun industry, we are foregoing our generous annual Christmas donations to WWP.

As a veteran myself, my stance on the Second Amendment while I was in uniform was that I swore an oath to the entire Constitution and thus, there was no "stance" about it. I offered up my very being up to and including my life in defense of those rights.

For WWP to weasel out of that under the guise of "suicide" does a tremendous disservice to every veteran since the founding of this nation. We will therefore re-direct our ongoing contributions and donations to more worthy veterans' causes that are more in line and supportive of the very Constitution that we as veterans all swore to protect and defend.

J.D. Kinman
Dallas, Texas

[arkypete]

I've done work for the Families of the Wounded amd Paralyzed Veterans. The Families of the Wounded was real simple, collect money for the wounded familes to live on while their hero recovers. For the Paralyzed Vets at Mcguire I collected books and magazines which the rejected because they were about guns, hunting, history. Well, I'm sorry that's what my friends and acquaintances read. and most if not all are vets.
I will continue to help the guys and thier families, the bureaucrats can bloody well stuff it.

Jim

[-06]

Like the others, I feel anger that the PC folks have infiltrated such a worthy org. This, hopefully will be soon stopped by eliminating those responsible from their office.

[1Shirt]

This is just goofy!
1Shirt!

[km101]

I feel like I have been mugged! I have donated to the WWP through various channels including diredt donations, raffles, and donations to specific projects. These have all been at or through gun related events. Now to find that they (WWP) have take this position of dis-association, and apparent reversal of previous policies just amazes me. How could they be so stupid?

NO MORE! I will not donate or support this organization because I dont feel that I can trust them now.

[Bad Water Bill]

I stole this story today and posted it in a Illinois gun site. Within 4 hours here were some replies.

http://www.examiner.com/article/woun...id=db_articles
http://www.examiner.com/article/woun...id=db_articles
http://www.gunssavelife.com/?p=3456

It should be an interesting interview if you can connect with the show.

Be warned there are a couple popups there.

We gun owners have POWER sometimes. Especially when their PAYCHECK is in danger.

Here is the site if anyone in Illinois is interested in our CCW fight

http://illinoiscarry.com/forum/

[Artful]

This was a good read
http://www.gunssavelife.com/?p=3456

Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) is in full damage-control mode as gun owners from across America are expressing outrage at the manner with which the WWP’s public relations director Leslie Coleman dismissively rejected an invitation for Wounded Warrior Project to appear on the nationally-syndicated Gun Talk Radio hosted by Tom Gresham on Veteran’s Day last weekend.

WWP reversed themselves earlier this week and sought a new invitation to appear on Gresham’s Gun Talk Radio, seeking to bring a wounded warrior to speak about the WWP organization, but Gresham declined that and told the WWP people that any appearances will be there solely to discuss WWP’s policies about media appearances.

We’ve been told by WWP staff and by published reports at the Examiner that the Executive Director of Wounded Warrior Project, Steven Nardizzi, will appear this Sunday on Gun Talk Radio. Gun Talk Radio can be heard on Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m. Central time on more than 137 stations nationwide, on XM (Ch. 165) Satellite Radio or via live streaming over the internet.

The whole brouhaha began with Gresham inviting WWP to come onto his show in Veteran’s Day. In a series of emails back and forth, WWP’s director of public relations Leslie Coleman declined the invitation, and stated that, “you are correct that we decline the media opportunity. …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.”

In a subsequent email, Ms. Coleman continued to dig herself in deeper, writing, “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.”

Literally the same day the email exchange was made public, Wounded Warrior began receiving the wrath of angry gun owners. Overnight, the situation went viral, endangering the entire Wounded Warrior operation.

I'll be listening tomorrow to see what kind of hole they fill in or dig deeper.

[starmac]

We gun owners have POWER sometimes. Especially when their PAYCHECK is in danger.

Think about this, just how many people that don't believe in guns are supporting any soldiers.
Look at liberals donation track records, even if they believe in firearms, they only give others money.

[nicholst55]

As a veteran, I REFUSE to support ANY organization that coattails on our sacrifices and struggles in order advance a liberal PC agenda.

We need to find out who Leslie works for, and then all 90 million of us need to mail them a voided check. Politely explain that we had intended to make a contribution, but since we're evil gun owners we wouldn't want to trouble them with our tainted money. I'll bet they change that policy the very same day...

[Recluse]

I'd like to hear Nardizzi explain to ALL veterans how "dedicated" the organization is to wounded vets when:

A. Only EIGHTEEN CENTS on the dollar goes towards the vets (per their own financial release)

B. The CEO of WWP is not a veteran yet makes far more than even the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

C. Apparently Gulf War vets, Bosnian vets and even as far back as Vietnam vets are pretty much shunned and turned away--if they even get a response, according to comments made by veterans in the past few days over this issue.

The best explanation of what WWP has become was in the comments section of another report when a reader opined (paraphrased) that "They (WWP) were once all about the veteran. Now they're all about themselves and the money and need wounded veterans in order to rake in the donations."

[Bad Water Bill]

Well the CEO works very hard. $316.000.00 hard trying to find ways to get most of that money into HIS Swiss bank account.

And then there is poor Leslie that broke a finger nail typing all of those E mails trying to cover up their adjenda.

Wonder how much they donated to the BRADY'S.

[geargnasher]

When selecting organizations to donate to, my wife and I research how they use the funds received.
While I don't have a full breakdown handy for Wounded Warriors, our research showed that they pay their CEo an astounding salary.

Of course, it's their job to determine if he is worth that much to their goal of supporting wounded vets.
But it seems to indicate that Wounded Warriors exists for it's own benefit ... and provides help vets in order to continue to exist.

CM

It appears that this IS the way it is. Thanks for the research, Recluse, and for blowing the whistle. I'm certainly convinced now, I just don't like to go off half-cocked. I pulled to full-cock and emptied the cylinder at any connection between them and my money.

Even if they mend their ways as far as from whom they choose to receive money, I'm not sending them a dime, ever if 18 cents on the dollar is all that gets through. Even the welfare system is slightly more efficient than that.

Gear

[DRNurse1]

Wow. This is a sad event that started as a reasonable response to the lack of attention to our veterans issues. We should include the 'faces' of WWP in our discussion. Has anyone contacted Trace or Hickcock? they both are stand up folks and will likely follow up on the sad state of that organization.

[snuffy]

I listened to the interview with Steve Nardizzi, CEO at WWP, on Tom's Sunday show. You can listen via podcast, or download it to your computer and play the JPG audio.

http://www.guntalk.com/site41.php

Mr Nardizzi, is a lawyer. Now there's SOME good lawyers out there, but try to nail one down to get a clear statement from one. Like pinning a snake to a board in a straight line! . Mr Nardizzi is no different. I've seldom heard so much double talk and waste of breath like that. Tom G. repeatedly tried to get him to admit they're just plain anti-gun.

Bottom line is they won't co-brand with anything that they can't get a return on investment, ROI. Specifically, you couldn't use their logo on a gun or knife. It's mainly because of lawyers behind every bush, ready to sue if your logo is used and somebody gets hurt or doesn't like your involvement.

My bottom line is I'm going to block their access to my checking account, which is how they would get my monthly pledge.