Last month with the subscription drive I found myself gifted with a lifetime subscription. I hadn't asked for it. I've been a member here since 2004, more or less active over that time.
Somebody decided I should be remembered.
In the big scheme of things it was a small gesture, but I am still moved by it.
In an ordinary world where we all wonder if we really count, being remembered is a very powerful thing.
I live in a safe place with easy access to things that are important to me: my family; food; warmth; friends; information and entertainment.
Imagine how much more powerful that gesture would have been if that was not the case.
You're not safe and all the things that matter to you are not available, are in limited supply or are simply not coming.
How easy would it be to feel that no one remembers you, that you don't matter, that no one cares if you live or die?
How much power would the act of someone showing they remember you and that they care have on you?
That's what Netroots For The Troops shows to military personnel and their families. Instead of just slapping a magnet on the car or calling them heroes, NFTT and its supporters give them the concrete proof they are remembered.
"It warms my heart to know that people take the time, money, and effort to pack and ship a box 8000 miles across barren land with only the hope that it bring a smile to someone's face. You will never know how much your support means to all of us, how a bite into your favorite candy bar can bring you home."
A letter from a recipient of an NFTT package
I'm Canadian so you might be wondering why I care about something done for American soldiers. I've even been told by some to butt out and MYOB, that a Canadian has no place being interested in or commenting on American issues.
The reason why I'm here is because, for us, it's like living next door to a giant. It pays to pay attention.
From what I can tell, it is different serving in the military here in Canada. I've known people who served in the Canadian military. Some did it to get their education. Other people joined for other reasons. None, that I know of, treated joining up like a "between a rock and a hard place" decision, the way it seems for so many young people in the US. It seems more of a simple career choice/job option.
It's only relatively relatively recently that we've adopted something akin to your chest-thumping hero worshipping style.
We didn't call Romeo Dallaire a hero.
But it's different for you Americans. You have a huge military filled with kids who had few options but to join up. You have a government happy to squeeze these kids for every "sacrifice" they can.
You also have, and here's the crux of the matter for me, a political party that likes to claim the military as its own in order to buttress its support for policies that shove more of these kids into the meat grinder and spit them out to be forgotten at the other end.
I see that what NFTT does is powerful in both the individual and the aggregate.
Any soldier who gets a package from NFTT will remember who cared enough to not only think of the troops and thank them for their service, but to also cared enough to send them things they needed.
If that soldier looks a little harder he or she will see that it was progressives who did this and that it's progressives who are fighting for the bigger things that matter for troops like adequate armour, better wages and healthcare. And most importantly, not sending them into harm's way, unless absolutely necessary.
I'll bet that awareness spreads to the troops' friends and family members.
If enough of them get care packages, it will be harder and harder for the Right to claim possession of the military as its base.
And that's where the payoff comes for me as a Canadian. I want the giant next door to have a military force that overwhelmingly supports progressive stances.
I especially want that in this century of looming energy crises, when that giant lives next door to a place full of lovely, lovely resources.
So with this as my rationale, like many who have inspired me over the last few years, I want to put my money where my mouth is and do something to help NFTT help more soldiers and their families.
I make mobile apps for small businesses. I've been helping small businesses with marketing for over 12 years, but the apps are a new development for me, so of course, I'm working to build up the business.
Right now, if you like my Facebook page you can get a 50% off coupon on the development of native apps for iPhone, iPad and Android. You get all of them for one price along with an HTML5 app that can be used with a redirect to make a mobile ready website.
The regular price is $2997 for the development, so this could save you $1498.50, which is a pretty good deal, but that's not what I am writing about.
I want to give half of that $1498.50 price to NFTT, because I think what they do is so important.
And I want to do something for my fellow Kossacks who are Americans.
Instead of just giving you the feeling of satisfaction of doing good, I also want to give the benefit of the charitable donation to you, the client.
I talked with a lawyer about how to do this and it’s not as simple as you might think.
In order for this to qualify as a donation you made to NFTT, I would have to give you the option of not donating the money and simply pocketing that money savings yourself. So yes, you could get an app developed for even less.
After you purchased, I’d have to send you an email with instructions on how you'd have to inform me of your desire to receive the rebate yourself. It would have involved sending me a registered letter within a certain (doable) period of time.
If I didn't receive the letter, then NFTT would receive the money once the development of your app was complete and it was submitted to the app stores for publication.
NFTT had to run all this by their lawyer and in the end it just seemed all too complicated.
Then my mother reminded me of just whom I was trying to reach with this.
This is the crowd who turned a subscription drive into an impromptu weeks long party!
So here is how I am going to do it instead.
I am going to trust you.
I will trust that you will send the $749.25 donation to NFTT, if I make the mobile app development price $749.25 too.
Now I know some people might not send the money, but I will trust that most of you will, because you, like me, would also like a military force who believed in progressive ideas.
So here's what I am going to do now:
Instead of using the Facebook coupon code on my sales page, use this one NFTTHELP instead.
It will let me know that you plan to make a donation to NFTT. You will hold a special place in my heart.
NFTT will send you a letter of acknowledgement of your donation, which you will be able to use for tax purposes.
If you have any questions please feel free to visit my website or kosmail me or TexDem who runs NFTT.
So there you have it. If you need a mobile app for your small business or you know someone who could use one and you'd like to help NFTT, please rec this diary and share it on your social networks.
Just like in political campaigns early money helps most. Even if you don't want a mobile app, please support NFTT with a donation today. The more money now, the more they will be able to pack and send in June.
They have a goal of $50,000 this year. So far, they are at 7% of their goal.