GM and the Gun Sculpture
>by David Codrea
>
>codrea4@earthlink.net
>
>An internationalist anti-gun sculpture was recently presented
>at the GM Court at the Canadian War Museum, and will soon be
>headed for American soil.
>
>What follow are some of my correspondences with GM officials.
>I hope after reading this, you will decide to also contact GM
>with your concerns, and let them know that while they are free
>to engage in social activism, we are free to be customers of
>people who are not abetting UN efforts to destroy our rights.
>GM Corporate snail mail, the GM Canada website link, and the
>GM PR Director edress are included in the following thread to
>facilitate this.
>
>- ---------------------------------------------
>
>General Motors Corporation
>300 Renaissance Center
>P.O. Box 300
>Detroit, Michigan 48265-3000
>
>Phone: (313) 556-5000
>
>To: Mr. John F. Smith, Jr., Chairman of the Board of Directors
>Mr. G. Richard Wagoner Jr., President and CEO
>
>Dear General Motors Management,
>
>According to the webpage:
>
>
http://www.civilization.ca/cwm/ihuman/cwmhumeng.html
>
>an artistic assault on the principles of self determination and
>defense, "The Art of Peacemaking - The Gun Sculpture," is being
>presented until June 24, 2001 in General Motors Court at the
>Canadian War Museum. I understand this offense against liberty
>is next headed for UN headquarters in New York for the July 9 -
>20 world disarmament cabal.
>
>This seems really inconsistent with your sponsorship of the Chevy
>Trucks Shooting Sports America series on ESPN cable network,
>which has done much good at positively presenting recreational
>firearms use to a viewing public that is otherwise bombarded
>with anti-gun media bias. For that, you should be commended.
>
>Do you have any control over what happens in a site that bears
>your name? Do you provide continued funding? If you do, will
>you continue to allow your name to be associated with the
>globalist agenda to undermine American sovereignty and disarm
>the American people?
>
http://dosfan.lib.uic.edu/ERC/arms/freedom_war.html
>
>I realize that "global buying power" is one of the phrases you
>use to attract investors, but I hope that GM is not underwriting
>the destruction of American freedoms to achieve global profits.
>I am forwarding this query to allies in the fight to defend the
>total Bill of Rights, and will also pass along your reply and/or
>lack of response.
>
>Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.
>
>David Codrea
>
>- ------------------------------------------------------------
>
>GM claimed they were "unfamiliar with" this sculpture in an
>email that another gun rights activist forwarded to me, so I
>wrote their "Customer Relationships Manager" the following:
>
>- -----------------------------------------------------------
>
>Dear Ms. Mendoza,
>
>As per your correspondence with Mr. Rankin, you are "unfamiliar
>with any movement regarding General Motors, the United Nations,
>and an anti-gun sculpture."
>
>Allow me to assist. The link you requested is provided below.
>
http://www.civilization.ca/cwm/ihuman/cwmhumeng.html
>
>I informed GM, via the "contact us" form on your website.
>
>Our questions are simple- does GM endorse the UN's global
>civilian disarmament efforts, or does GM support the United
>States Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and particularly, the
>right of the people to keep and bear arms? And what is GM
>prepared to do about this sculpture currently on display in
>the "GM Court"?
>
>Your prompt attention to this matter will be appreciated.
>
>Thank you,
>David Codrea
>
>- ------------------------------------------------------------
>
>This is the first response I received:
>
>- ------------------------------------------------------------
>
>Dear Mr. Codrea,
>
>Thank you for your recent e-mail. We appreciate you sending us the
>link we requested. We should clarify this matter for you. General
>Motors Court is the physical address of the Canadian War Museum.
>This is the only relationship between the Gun Sculpture and General
>Motors.
>
>Thank you again for contacting us.
>
>Sincerely,
>
>Wendy Mendoza
>Customer Relationship Manager
>GM Internet Response Center
>
>- ---------------------------------------------------
>
>Ms. Mendoza, of course, did not paint a complete picture of the
>GM relationship:
>
>- ---------------------------------------------------
>
>Dear Ms. Mendoza,
>
>Thank you for your reply.
>
>Your answer is not complete for a couple of reasons that you
>may not be aware of.
>
>First, "General Motors" is a fiercely protected brand name. It
>is used only with corporate sanction. You had better believe
>that if a nazi group presented their political views at General
>Motors Court, your company would be quick to issue a statement
>of denunciation. But this is actually a minor point.
>
>Allow me to call your attention to the following, the Oct. 9,
>1997 dedication of the GM Court, which, contrary to the
>information you have provided, shows that the relationship
>between General Motors and Canadian/UN efforts, of which civilian
>disarmament is a part, is ongoing.
>
http://www.dnd.ca/eng/archive/speeches/gm_s_e.htm
>
>GM has been described as a "key fundraiser" for the War Museum
>by the Canadian Minister of National Defence. I think you will
>agree that, in this light, it is more than just an address.
>
>So my question stands, and remains unanswered: Does GM approve
>of having its name associated with UN civilian disarmament
>efforts? If not, can we expect a corporate statement of
>disagreement with the museum's display?
>
>Thank you,
>David Codrea
>
>- -------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>Ms. Mendoza then offered the Pontius Pilate defense, i.e., "Go
>see Herod":
>
>- -------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>Dear Mr. Codrea,
>
>Thank you for your recent e-mail. We apologize for your
>dissatisfaction with our previous response.
>
>We must emphasize that you wrote your comments to the United
>States division of General Motors. It would be in your best
>interest to contact GM of Canada at www.gmcanada.com for the
>information you are seeking.
>
>Also, General Motors does not have a corporate statement on
>this matter. GM supports artistic expressions and opinion.
>The Gun Sculpture is the artists views and opinion. We cannot
>comment on the sculpture, the Canadian War Museum, or General
>Motors involvement.
>
>Thank you again for contacting GM.
>
>Sincerely,
>
>Wendy Mendoza
>Customer Relationship Manager
>GM Internet Response Center
>
>- ----------------------------------------------
>
>To which I responded:
>
>- ----------------------------------------------
>
>Dear Ms. Mendoza,
>
>In re "We cannot comment on the sculpture, the Canadian War
>Museum, or General Motors involvement."
>
>You already have. Loud and clear.
>
>Sincerely,
>David Codrea
>
>- ---------------------------------------------
>
>So I sent my concerns to GM Canada, and received the following:
>
>- ---------------------------------------------
>
>Original Message:
>From: stew.low@gm.com
>To: codrea4@earthlink.net
>Sent: Thursday, June 28, 2001 9:57 AM
>
>Your letter to the GM Chairman has been forwarded to me for
>response.
>
>My name is Stew Low and I am the Director of Public Relations
>for GM of Canada and I am the one responsible for the relation-
>ship GM of Canada has with the Canadian War Museum.
>
>In Canada, we have a document called the Charter of Rights and
>Freedoms that guarantees our Canadians free speech and expression,
>the right of free association and a number of others that we
>all recognize as being the foundation that makes Canada the best
>country in the world.
>
>While I can appreciate your point of view, I do not agree that
>is our place to censure what a museum will or will not show. In
>doing so is contrary to what makes this country great.
>
>Yours truly,
>
>D. S. Low
>
>- --------------------------------------------------
>
>Oh, Stew, Stew, Stew...
>
>- --------------------------------------------------
>
>To: Stew Low, GM Canada stew.low@gm.com
>
>Dear Stew,
>
>I've seen your tepid Charter. One might say it has a big "but",
>in that it "guarantees the rights and freedoms set out in it
>subject only to such reasonable limits prescribed by law as can
>be demonstrably justified in a free and democratic society."
>
>Gee, that opens the door to all kinds of revisionist
>interpretations based on might makes right and the political
>climate of the time. Guess it all depends on the meaning of the
>phrase "reasonable limits" and how many people you can sell that
>definition to, eh?
>
>In the United States, WE have a document called the Bill of
>Rights, which is off-limits to government infringement, and
>which, when necessary, protects the individual against the
>tyranny of the majority. Included in these is the inalienable
>right of the people to keep and bear arms.
>
>History has shown that disarmed populations are vulnerable
>populations, and this has been demonstrated by the tens of
>millions of genocide victims in the last century, the vast
>majority being victims of their OWN governments.
>
>An exhibit advocating global disarmament, one intended to
>influence passage of enforceable treaty provisions and
>guarantee a monopoly of power to UN member state regimes over
>their subjects, is occurring under the name "GM". Your claim
>that it is not your place to "censure" a museum exhibit rings
>hollow - you people would be tripping all over yourselves to
>disaffiliate the GM name from this were it a politically
>incorrect exhibit, for instance, something advocating racial,
>sexual or religious intolerance, that is, as long as the race
>was not white, the sexuality was not hetero, and the religion
>was not Christianity.*
>
>But thanks for your candor. I'll pass your message on as the
>official position of General Motors Corporation and its
>affiliates.
>
>Sincerely,
>David Codrea
>codrea4@earthlink.net
>Guns- good AND good FOR you!
>Find out why at:
>
http://www.guntruths.com/
>
http://www.citizensofamerica.org/
>
http://www.keepandbeararms.com/
>
>- ------------------------------------------
>
>* Lest this observation cause concern, understand that it's
>intent is merely to illustrate the double-standard applied by
>liberals espousing freedom of expression. I wrote the original
>draft from which the GunTruths.com "Inclusion Statement" was
>developed, a statement which has also been endorsed by
>KeepandBeararms.com:
>
>"[We are] Not Your Enemy. [We] supports the right of all
>peaceable people to keep and bear arms. Your age, race, sex,
>religion, political party, sexual orientation, or national
>origin are of no concern to us. Anyone who requires you to
>disarm is not your friend, and not our friend. Only when all
>peaceable citizens can freely exercise their inalienable right
>to self defense, and their right to keep and bear arms, will
>we attain the ultimate safeguard for our mutual protection, as
>individuals, as members of a community, and as citizens of the
>Republic."
>
>- ------------------------------------
>
>Stew gets the last word:
>
>- -------------------------------------
>
>As i said I appreciate your point of view, but don't happen to
>agree with it.
>That is what makes society so interesting.
>
>*
* *
>
>Forwarded FYI by The Liberty Crew
>
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