The Fury of a Mother Scorned

In this holiday season during which I wanted to share a nostalgic moment with my friends and family, I responded to those ads we see each night sandwiched between ipod promos and Tiffany settings touting the virtues of PhotoStamps. "It's a great gift idea," they exclaim. So, wanting to share images of my kids in their latest, greatest moments, I ordered two sets of stamps -- one set of my five- year old in his Happy Feet ski hat, and one set of my eight year-old in his t-shirt that reads "Make Cupcakes Not War." Both kids are smiling and this mom was, too . . . until the package arrived. Only my five year-old's stamps were included. None of my eight year-old. So where were they? I phoned customer service, and after much turmoil navigating the system, I was sent a curt response to my inquiry.

"Your order has been rejected because it does not meet our content guidelines." Content guidelines? I clicked on the link. "The most likely reasons that your image was not accepted include the following: We may have thought your image controversial, (e.g. it contained a political statement, a religious symbol, a focus on alcohol, etc.)" I was stunned.

I was being censored by a publicly traded company. I was indignant; I was outraged. The photo is not obscene; it's not abusive; it's not sexually suggestive nor defamatory. It's merely a picture of a kid expressing his support for sugary sweets and peace. Could they really do this? Could they provide the public function of postage and restrict my personal speech? Could they perform the tasks traditionally (and exclusively, until this year) done by the U.S Postal Service and censor my art? I mean, even the Iraq Study Group has come out publicly to say how wrong this war is. If NASCAR can get PhotoStamps, I should be able to get them. But I can't. And I'm furious.

So until I can, please share this wonderful image of my son with all of your friends who care about freedom, peace, and a healthy democracy.

All the best,

Shana