In response to "Shirts Sold to Recognize Soldiers" (Oct. 4) - my first reaction was to shop for a shirt, because I definitely want to recognize and express concern for our troops! But I am confused by the promise to give "20 percent of the profits" to veteran's charities. Profits? Most new businesses take a long time to start making profits. These shirts have received a lot of publicity on the web, but nobody, including TakePride's website, mentions any actual donations - or profits, for that matter. But everybody mentions the company's pledge to donate that 20 percent. Does 20 percent of "no profits yet" add up to no donations yet? If I buy a regular (non-logo) shirt, can I count on any money going to actual Iraq or Afghanistan veterans? Am I being too cynical? Perhaps. But I'd feel a lot more comfortable buying a shirt if I knew how much money the company has donated so far, and how much of my $20 - if any - would actually go to veterans' charities.
Gail Bederman
Professor
Department of History
Oct. 4
