[Vision2020] fundraising at home in Moscow

[Mark Solomon]

Lewiston Tribune, 1/18/04

Thanks, McKnights!

Mark Solomon

Family arms loyal opposition

By DAVID JOHNSON
  of the Tribune

  MOSCOW -- For the McKnight family, it started with an idea to 
channel a political statement into a means of raising money for what 
they consider worthy causes.

  So they designed a simple black bracelet inscribed with "I Did Not 
Vote 4 Bush" and contracted with a company in China to manufacture it.

  Then Tony and Brenda, along with their three children, began selling 
the wristbands -- first on the streets of Manhattan during a 
Christmas trip to New York City, then on the Internet via eBay and 
their own Web site.

  Sales were good, but nothing like what's happened in the wake of an 
Associated Press story that ran last week.

  "Overwhelming," said Tony, a 40-year-old private investigator who 
moved here recently from California with the family.

  Over the past weekend, the McKnights had more than 100,000 hits on 
their Web site and suddenly sold their inventory of 50,000 bracelets 
at $3 a pop. Another 55,000 bracelets have been ordered, and the 
family is spending 18 hours a day mailing the bracelets and black 
bumper stickers with the same inscription to buyers in all 50 states 
and 10 countries.

  "As soon as that story hit, it was amazing," said Tony. Friday, the 
family was thousands of dollars in debt with their venture. By Monday 
afternoon, they were struggling with how to properly distribute the 
incoming money to various groups and take a modest slice of the 
action for themselves.

  "We didn't start it for money," says Tony. "But there's clearly a 
lot of support for this."

  The Associated Press reported at least two other similar ventures by 
people making blue bracelets with the words "Count Me Blue" and 
"Hope" inscribed on them. At least one pro-Bush bracelet proclaiming 
"Count Me Red" was also reported.

  The striking success of their black bracelet, said the McKnights, 
has been mitigated by a growing number of derogatory messages via 
e-mail.

  "It's kind of confusing," said 8-year-old Kate. "I like doing it, 
but it's a lot of work, and we get a lot of hate mail."

  Tony and Brenda estimated they fielded more than 200 negative 
messages over the weekend, some of them downright threatening. "Take 
all your crap and shove it," read one message arriving Monday.

  The older children, Alek, 18, and Sasha, 16, said they're not 
surprised by the negative messages as much as they are heartened by 
the positive comments and placement of orders.

  "I would say we're a liberal family," said Alek, a senior at Moscow 
High School, adding that he's proud of his family's willingness to 
exercise free speech and support progressive causes. Although they 
haven't settled on the exact percentages, the McKnights said proceeds 
from sales will go to groups like MoveOn.Org, the Sierra Club, the 
Afghan Women's Fund, People for the American Way, the American Civil 
Liberties Union and other organizations named on their Web site.

  "It's fun, even if it's just putting stickers on little bags," said 
Sasha as she packaged bracelets in the basement of the family home. 
All five family members have been working to mail the bracelets and 
bumper stickers and Brenda, 40, said she fears that local U.S. Postal 
Service officials aren't prepared for what might be ahead.

  "What comes next is really a big question," said Tony. As of Monday 
night, the McKnight Web site continued to be active with more than 
104,000 hits registered.

  The main purposes behind the effort, according to the Web site, is 
to help people "remain visible protesters to the policies of George 
Bush," to raise money for "progressive causes that will fight Bush's 
most destructive policies," and "to show the world that not all 
Americans are to blame."

  Tony and Brenda confess they thought the effort would appeal to the 
politically left but had no intention to rile the right. "I'm just 
disturbed by this whole thing," said Brenda, who asked that her photo 
not be taken. "I think I am patriotic."

  Tony called the bracelet a "subtle" and "peaceful protest" that 
doesn't deserve to be "slammed for being un-American." It's a 
spin-off of sorts from America cycling champion Lance Armstrong's 
yellow "LIVESTRONG" wristbands created to raise funds for cancer 
research.

  Some of the negative comments they've received, said Tony, accuse 
his family of robbing from cancer research to support a political 
point of view. Tony and Brenda insist the United States remains a 
"nation divided," and half the country should not be silenced because 
a small majority won an election.

  "In order for a division to be perpetuated, there have to be two 
sides to start with," said Tony. The family thinks orders for their 
wristbands may continue to grow through and beyond Bush's second 
inauguration Thursday. "So the next thing we're going to do is stuff 
more envelopes."

  It is, said the family members, an exercise in freedom of speech.

  "You can't do anything about it," said Kate as she fixed another 
address sticker to an envelope. "We're going to keep on doing it, 
even if you don't like it."

  ------

  Johnson may be contacted at deveryone at potlatch.com
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