Thursday, September 01, 2016

United Way Worldwide Delivers Otero County to the Gun Control Wolves

 by Jenn Jacques

Do you donate to the United Way? You need to read this before you write your next check.

Who knew one law-abiding group of people trying to raise money for their community could be so hated?

When the Otero County (NM) United Way started their 2017 Calendar Gun Raffle with the hopes of raising $150,000 for their community, the backlash was swift… and highly suspect. Intent on shutting down a fellow New Mexico United Way campaign, the President-Elect of the Santa Fe United Way, Miranda Viscoli, wrote a letter to the United Way Worldwide (UWW) urging them to shut down Otero County’s campaign.

Viscoli said, “It’s unconscionable. It has nothing to do with what United Way is about. They’re paving the road for other United Way branches to hold raffles.”

Interesting, since over a dozen other United Way chapters also hold gun raffles to raise money for their communities. Of course she knows this, but that doesn’t fit her agenda… so onto the spin we go.


After United Way Worldwide suspended the Otero County gun raffle, Viscoli told KRQE, “There seems to be a disconnect between their mission and their fundraising tactics. The very items that they are choosing to raffle will go back into the communities already hurt by gun violence against women and children.”

Ultimately, United Way Worldwide reviewed the facts of the case and concluded Otero County was operating within their bylaws and New Mexico state laws, prompting them to lift their suspension on August 13th.

“For Ms. Viscoli, jeopardizing funding for charity and wasting law enforcement resources were no hurdles to pursuing her own personal anti-gun vendetta,” a representative from the NRA-ILA commented.

United Way Worldwide spokesman Ryan Powers said, “It’s an internal membership discussion. I’ve seen the statement and we don’t have anything more to add to the statement. It’s an internal membership discussion and we’d prefer to keep it at that.”

But since this is a story of how gun control supporters won’t stop until they get their way, it doesn’t end there…

Ms. Viscoli seems less interested in protecting “the United Way brand” as she claimed publicly, and more interested in promoting the other cause she’s affiliated with personally: New Mexicans to Prevent Gun Violence.

HT: Marvin Frisbey

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