Strengthening Constitutional Self-Government

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Why Can’t We Get These Guys to Find Bin Laden?

Okay, so I turned 50 years old yesterday. No need for cheers and jeers--I got plenty of those all week.

Today I received my first e-mail solicitation from the AARP. Figures. (Of course, if we had truth in labeling laws for interest groups, AARP would stand for Angry Advocates for Rapacious Pensioners. I’m not joining.)

Discussions - 5 Comments

And they didn't even need FISA!? Creepy.

Hey, wait! Ivan the K might be right about this re-Captcha thing! I can't read these passwords very well either . . . or maybe my AARP membership application (and my need for reading glasses) is coming at me sooner than I thought!

Just stick all .gov addresses in your email filter so it's automatically marked as spam.



At least, that's what I do. More for military solicitations, though (I've got a few years before the AARP comes after me).

Steve, I have a funny story about my own experience when AARP first invited me to join. I married my wonderful bride, who happens to be 24 years younger than I am, just before I turned the corner of 50. So right after our marriage, in came the AARP solicitation, which I then accepted mainly because of the "senior" discounts. Of course the spouse of the new member also becomes a member automatically. So here my 26-year old bride is flashing her AARP card to qualify for all kinds of special breaks for retired persons to many quizzical looks and skeptical questions. We have had many laughs about the 26 year old "senior citizen." Some years later, I surrendered my membership after AARP "advocated" on my behalf, no less, against Social Security reform, denying that I might have greater wisdom than some federal bureaucrat in investing my own money for my retirement.

Every time I receive an invitation from AARP, I respond with a form letter which comments on their support for lefty and big government causes, and quotes Robert Heinlein (his experience in politics led him to believe that most people became very greedy after age 50).

From all the form letters I've sent, I've received only one response, where the author tried to persuade me that AARP does good things. It may perform a few such acts, but its political advocacy for bigger government and ever-increasing benefits outweighs any good it might do.

If it makes you feel better, I started getting AARP letters (complete with the 'provisional membership' card) at the ripe old age of 27. I'm pretty sure it was a result of my same-named grandfather moving into town and screwing up some name/address filter they've got, but still. The really fun part is that I also get mailings from the "conservative alternative to the AARP." That organization name escapes me, but I like to pretend I'm in a bidding war for my future membership.

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