SHOULD WE CLOSE VDARE.COM?

A reader just sent us this email:

"Whoever's advising you to block off the entire VDARE.COM site during fundraising appeals is, to put it politely, way off-base.  I get annoyed when the site is blocked for even the first day of such appeals, and the most recent blocking had nothing to do with the donation I just made.  My donation, a modest one, was based on VDARE.COM being the single best site on the internet covering immigration and related matters.  Take that away, even for a week, and you risk a loss of faith among readers who depend on you to help keep them afloat in a world of political correctness where we must always watch what we say. 

"VDARE.COM articles have just the right combination of content and rhetorical style where I can send them to immigration enthusiasts and not fear that the arguments will be pigeonholed and dismissed on the usual grounds of racism or whatever. 

"There are lots of fundraising games played by non-profit organizations—VDARE.COM, as a matter of principle, should remain above that."

We appreciate the kind words. But in fact, of course, our advisor is telling us to close VDARE.COM completely during our fundraising drives. We hate to do that, so we usually click through to today's posting.

Our reader is an old friend. But I have to say I feel exasperation, even despair, that someone we know so well wouldn't realize how serious our situation is.

We're not playing "fundraising games".

We have to be able to pay writers. We need your help to do it.

After a flurry of donations late last week, our first appeal of 2008 has again stalled.

I know it's summer.

And I know the political elite thinks it's got the patriotic immigration reform movement back under control.