Regarding a Certain Baby Food Company ...
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 and 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's 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 wasnt 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 biggest 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's what 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
