Statement on George Floyd

Tom Suddard said:

Thank you, Matthew.

I understand why some may be confused–if we were asking for money, why could we then afford to donate money? For starters your Patreon support doesn't even make it to our bank account before it's mailed to the developers (along with all of the ad revenue from this site and a healthy dose of ad revenue from the print magazine).

In this case it was simple: It's important to back up words with action, even when it would be safer and cheaper to only say the words. And no action is ever perfect, but we needed to do something. We funded the donation by pausing our Facebook marketing for the month of June. We'll feel the hit, but we felt it was necessary so we weren't just another company posting a statement but doing nothing. We felt that a charity with a 90.96, 4/4-star rating on Charity Navigator was an appropriate choice. 

I support you. 

Remember that the loudest and the most extreme are not the majority. 

Tom Suddard said:

Thank you, Matthew.

I understand why some may be confused–if we were asking for money, why could we then afford to donate money? For starters your Patreon support doesn't even make it to our bank account before it's mailed to the developers (along with all of the ad revenue from this site and a healthy dose of ad revenue from the print magazine).

In this case it was simple: It's important to back up words with action, even when it would be safer and cheaper to only say the words. And no action is ever perfect, but we needed to do something. We funded the donation by pausing our Facebook marketing for the month of June. We'll feel the hit, but we felt it was necessary so we weren't just another company posting a statement but doing nothing. We felt that a charity with a 90.96, 4/4-star rating on Charity Navigator was an appropriate choice. 

It is not relevant if that money goes into your account or not. It goes to the developers, which takes an expense off of your back.  That frees up money for you to donate to another cause.  Like the others here, I have an issue with it, but again, it is your money.  Unfortunately it just means next time, I'll pass. I applaud the message and the thought, but the execution is lousy.

I'm not leaving, but I am disappointed any time any business decides to take a side on anything political. When a business I support begins making donations (partially of my money) towards something politically motivated, it puts a tough decision in my hands. Hopefully this doesn't become a recurring theme at GRM.

I subscribe to GRM because I enjoy the content, and come to the forums to talk cars, and one of the things I truly enjoy most here is that politics is somewhat verboten unless it pertains directly to our hobby.

I fully support George Floyd's family and friends, and those who are taking a stand to end police brutality.

Staff of Motorsport Marketing, Inc. said:

We stand against racism. We stand against violence. We stand for inclusion. We stand for a free press. We stand for speaking out, together.

This I agree with 100%.

I find it interesting that none of those who don't like the SPLC have not provided any links to their claims. 

We don't believe human rights are political, and we did not see silence as a viable option here. 

Tom Suddard said:

We don't believe human rights are political, and we did not see silence as a viable option here. 

 

I see comments on post made by famous people. They'll support a cause or speak out against an injustice, and a number of their fans will say "stick to comedy/music/acting". As if they aren't allowed to use their influence to support what they believe in. As if because they have fans or subscribers they aren't allowed to speak their mind. 

Some E36 M3 if ya ask me.

In reply to datsunroadster :

"The Southern Poverty Law Center's classification of FRC as a hate group stems from FRC's more than decade-long insistence that gay people are more likely to molest children ... Research from non-ideological outfits is actually firm in concluding the opposite."^[63]

Has anyone here actually read their website? 

They list a Black Panther group in Denver as a black separatist hate group. 

GRM could have made that donation and never mentioned it. I applaud the willingness to speak out and do something to support your beliefs. There may have been a better choice, but it was better than doing nothing. We can all agree to disagree and still be supportive of each other.

In reply to L5wolvesf :

Here's one:  From the CEO of the SPLC  a few years back.  Complete with links for fact checking:

Morris Dees began his career as a direct-mail marketer, selling “doormats, tractor seat cushions, and cookbooks.” His former business partner recalled that  “Morris and I … shared the overriding purpose of making a lot of money. We were not particular about how we did it; we just wanted to be independently rich.” Dees even (https://www.thesocialcontract.com/artman2/publish/tsc_20_3/tsc_20_3_vinson.shtml) “earned cash by doing some legal work for the Ku Klux Klan.” Dees was so successful at selling products through the mail that he eventually made it into the Direct Marketers Hall of Fame (https://www.dmnews.com/agencies/news/13102949/dma-names-4-tohall-of-fame). (Yes, postal spammers have a hall of fame, apparently.) Dees didn’t change his methods: “We just run our business like a business,” he said. “Whether you’re selling cakes or causes, it’s all the same.” Dees was as successful at selling causes as he had been at selling cakes. Fueled by Dees’ direct mail campaigns, the Southern Poverty Law Center brought in million after million. Last year it took in $136 million (https://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm? bay=search.summary&orgid=4482), and it now sits upon an endowment of nearly half a billion dollars. Yet even after some within the organization thought it should stop raising money, and despite promises by Dees that it would do so, its fundraising pitches in the mail became ever more desperate and frantic. A 1995 pitch (https://harpers.org/blog/2010/03/hate-immigration-and-the-southern-poverty-lawcenter/), sent when the SPLC was sitting on more than $60 million in reserves, told potential donors that the “strain on our current operating budget is the greatest in our 25-year history.” All sorts of tricks were tried, and a former Dees associate reported that the organization once used about six different low-value stamps on envelopes, to give the appearance that it could barely afford to cobble together 35 cents of postage.

In reply to Marjorie Suddard :

For the record, I do not think you are ignorant nor evil.  Having convictions and being willing to act on them is admirable. continue to be proud of that. 
 

Yeah, I think that the SPLC sucks as well, but that doesn't change how I feel about GRM (very good), and I respect where you're coming from regardless.

GRM must be doing something right if they pissed off Dr Hess and Steve Jones and brought a bunch of single post sock puppets out of the woodwork.

We stand against racism. We stand against violence. We stand for inclusion. We stand for a free press. We stand for speaking out, together.

This right here says it all for me. Thank you GRM.

L5wolvesf said:

Staff of Motorsport Marketing, Inc. said:

We stand against racism. We stand against violence. We stand for inclusion. We stand for a free press. We stand for speaking out, together.

This I agree with 100%.

I find it interesting that none of those who don't like the SPLC have not provided any links to their claims. 

We are not allowed to discuss politics.

In reply to dculberson (Forum Supporter) :

Helpful and constructive. Glad to see that in these times of chaos and upheavals, some things remain the same. 

Well done, GRM, well done.

I support your decision. I refuse to let another thing divide me to GRM.

folks, just say thank you for donating something.

stop writing stuff/anything here or other social media to divide us. Society.

 We have a lot of work ahead of us, to fix this and leave something for our children. 
We are seeing the end and our country will become the United States of Hate.

T.J. said:

In reply to dculberson (Forum Supporter) :

Helpful and constructive. Glad to see that in these times of chaos and upheavals, some things remain the same. 

Yes it was definitely out of the blue when I've been called stupid ignorant and evil. 

datsunroadster said:

In reply to L5wolvesf :

Here's one:  From the CEO of the SPLC  a few years back.  Complete with links for fact checking:

Morris Dees began his career as a direct-mail marketer, selling “doormats, tractor seat cushions, and cookbooks.” His former business partner recalled that  “Morris and I … shared the overriding purpose of making a lot of money. We were not particular about how we did it; we just wanted to be independently rich.” Dees even (https://www.thesocialcontract.com/artman2/publish/tsc_20_3/tsc_20_3_vinson.shtml) “earned cash by doing some legal work for the Ku Klux Klan.” Dees was so successful at selling products through the mail that he eventually made it into the Direct Marketers Hall of Fame (https://www.dmnews.com/agencies/news/13102949/dma-names-4-tohall-of-fame). (Yes, postal spammers have a hall of fame, apparently.) Dees didn’t change his methods: “We just run our business like a business,” he said. “Whether you’re selling cakes or causes, it’s all the same.” Dees was as successful at selling causes as he had been at selling cakes. Fueled by Dees’ direct mail campaigns, the Southern Poverty Law Center brought in million after million. Last year it took in $136 million (https://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm? bay=search.summary&orgid=4482), and it now sits upon an endowment of nearly half a billion dollars. Yet even after some within the organization thought it should stop raising money, and despite promises by Dees that it would do so, its fundraising pitches in the mail became ever more desperate and frantic. A 1995 pitch (https://harpers.org/blog/2010/03/hate-immigration-and-the-southern-poverty-lawcenter/), sent when the SPLC was sitting on more than $60 million in reserves, told potential donors that the “strain on our current operating budget is the greatest in our 25-year history.” All sorts of tricks were tried, and a former Dees associate reported that the organization once used about six different low-value stamps on envelopes, to give the appearance that it could barely afford to cobble together 35 cents of postage.

I guess that's probably why they fired him. 

https://www.npr.org/2019/03/14/703526235/southern-poverty-law-center-fires-morris-dees-its-co-founder

Thank you for taking a stand.  You're good folks and I'm proud to wear my GRM gear, etc.

We hate to see people leave, but honestly I don't think I'll miss many of the folks that are screaming about the place GRM chose to donate to. 

Some of those are the very reason why we don't discuss politics here.

Be good to each other and stay safe out there.

"datsunroadster" just registered and logged in here today to post dirt about the SPLC. 

Maybe we should change his name to "volgaroadster" 

I appreciate you guys making the statement and I stand with you. I appreciate you trying to put your money where your mouth is.  Thank you.

I find it a disheartening commentary on our society that good intentions and good will are so hard to effectively carry out. I don't know anything about the groups mentioned here. But it seems like any action those of us in the middle take to improve the world turnsninto stepping on a land mine.

Eventually we get beaten into "why bother?" and the demons win.