Cut Abercrombie name from ER, advocates say - CNN.com

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- A children's advocacy group wants to keep a children's hospital from putting clothing retailer Abercrombie & Fitch's name on a new emergency room.

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The children's hospital in Columbus, Ohio, is named for Nationwide Insurance Co.

Abercrombie, known for its racy marketing campaigns aimed at teenagers, has pledged $10 million toward the construction of the emergency department at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus.

The Boston-based Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood on Tuesday urged the hospital to drop any plans to put Abercrombie's name on the project, pointing to research that has shown a link between sexualized images of teens in the media and mental health problems in girls.

The advocacy group made its position public in a letter to the hospital Tuesday that was signed by about 70 pediatricians and academics from around the United States.

"Given this company's appalling history of targeting children with sexualized marketing and clothing, no public health institution should be advertising Abercrombie & Fitch," the letter states.

[From Cut Abercrombie name from ER, advocates say - CNN.com]

Paraphrased: "Please let us keep the $10 million without us giving you any kind of god damn credit. Thanks."

Maybe this is all a communications disconnect, I bet they were confused by the difference between the Hippocratic Oath and Hypocrisy. This is what happens when people freak out over stupid things and don't bother to try to think them through. A smart person would had first tried to find an acceptable donor to match the $10 million, then worry about bitching and whining about Abercrombie & Fitch. This way the hospital only loses a little face, instead of a $10 million donation.

If I was running a competing hospital in the area, I would damn well be on the phone right now calling Abercrombie & Fitch and promising them to STFU if they even send the hospital as little as a quarter of that $10 million promised to Nationwide Children's Hospital. Dumbasses.

Photo Credit: Photo by drewcipher, used under the terms of a Creative Commons license.