[NEohioPAL]Regarding a Certain Baby Food Company ...

[David Hansen]

Dear Friends,

On Friday, March 7, 2003, Toni and I received our written apology from a
certain baby food company.  For those who are unfamiliar with our story, we
received numerous mailings from this company from the moment Calvin died an=
d
for months following.  Repeated requests to remove our name from their
mailing list went unheeded.  The accumulative emotional stress of this one
part of our grieving process is well documented in the play I HATE THIS.

As part of my campaign against this company, I posted transcripts of my
conversations with their consumer relations representatives on my website -
with the notice that once we received a written apology, I would remove
those particular pages.  They have done their part, and I have done mine.  =
I
have removed all mention of them from the site.

It seems suspicious to me, however, that following repeated emotional pleas
- the last taking place in July, 2002, over seven months ago - they would
choose this precise moment to finally acknowledge their egregious and
insensitive error.  To be sure, their letter is dated February 26, 2003, a
full day before the appearance of Tony Brown=B9s widely circulated Plain
Dealer article on my play, one which mentions the episode - though does not
mention the company by name.  Perhaps it should also be mentioned that this
letter wasn't postmarked until Monday, March 3.  You may draw your own
conclusions ... or perhaps you already have.

Regardless, my online feud with this company is over.  I should add,
however, that those of you who have enjoyed my performance - and its bigges=
t
laugh line - have nothing to fear.  If you think I will be cutting that
story out of my performance, you must be high.  It happened, and that=B9s wha=
t
is in my play, what happened.  Besides, if I can share the most difficult,
painful and personal moments my immediate family and I have ever had to
struggle though, why the hell should I give these people a pass?

A minor victory, a little more dignity - for Calvin.

Peace,
David Hansen
http://www.davidhansen.org/i_hate_this.html

"'Hate' Is Enough" by Christine Howey (Cleveland Scene)
http://www.clevescene.com/issues/2003-03-05/stage.html/1/index.html
"David Hansen's heartrending tale deserves to land on another stage."