September 28, 2001

Hi,

I am buying some large garbage cans to use as recycling containers. I have some money saved up from my allowance. No one in our area recycles soda cans. I bought 10 large cans and many liners. Several small businesses have said that we can place the cans in the offices as long as I empty them regularly. I will collect the cans and recycle the aluminum. The profit will be sent to you at Project NoSpank. This may be slow going at first but we hope to have a routine by Christmas. My brother and I will do the work . Mom said she will help if we need it. I will try to get my Boy Scout leaders to help us collect cans.

All profit will be mailed monthly to NoSpank.

We started getting cans and liners yesterday. It will take about a week to put the cans into the businesses. We will start picking up the trash cans a couple of times per week. I will get my mom to send a check to you. Thank you for helping my mom try to protect me and my baby brother.

Matthew Alex Curtis, Age 12
Demopolis, Alabama

^*CLARIFICATION: Readers who suspect the title of this post is intended to be ironic have missed the point entirely. We measure success on a human scale. When a 12-year-old expresses and demonstrates personal commitment to the ideals of nonviolent, empathic treatment of children, that's cause for optimism. If our survival as a nation, as a culture, and as a species rides on that child and his friends and others like them (as I am certain it does), we can truly feel confident about the future.

J. Riak