You mean you just watched?!/The art and blunder of mass mail fund raising

I received two different solicitations for money in today's mail. They were both from animal welfare organizations. Generally, I'm a soft touch when it comes to animals. Not today.

One letter begins with such graphic details that I got no further than the second sentence. To me, this is almost as bad as graphic photos. I understand why they do it but I don't support organizations that use this tactic.

The other lettter begins: "Tired and thin, she walked hesitantly down the alleyway. In the weeks since she had been thrown out of the car, Maggie had searched for food and a safe, warm place to give birth. Barely more than a kitten herself she found life alone on the streets to be hard. She had been chased away from the little food she did find by other cats who claimed it for themselves. And trying to find a place to sleep that was protected from the cold night air was just about impossible."

So, wait, ... you watched this happen?! You saw a cat being thrown out of a vehicle and then tracked its progress for weeks without offering it any assistance --because how else would you know this!?--but you want me to send you money to improve this situation? Um, right. Um, pass.