Will Ye Also Go Away?

Dad
May 28, 2003

—MO 2:00 A.M. Feb. 19, 1978 DO 665

—To Be Read to All!

Dear Timothy, PTL! GBY!

1. IF WE'RE GOING TO PASS THROUGH A FINANCIAL SQUEEZE NOW, maybe we'd better cut out the promised one-per-adult disciple mailings until the disciples send us more money?!

2. IF THEY'RE GOING TO CUT OUR FUNDS, WE'LL HAVE TO CUT THEIR LIT! Do you need to give Inky a call on this? Maybe we'll have to cut to just one copy per Home, like the old days, until they give enough to pay for it!

3. OR ASSESS A WORLDWIDE SURCHARGE TO PAY FOR IT! Either they send us an extra 1% or they don't get 'em!

4. I WAS ASHAMED OF THE LEADERS, BUT NOW I'M ASHAMED OF THE KIDS!: They were willing to do more for their leaders than they are now willing to do for me and the Lord and love! God help us!

5. BETTER PHONE INKY on this right away so he won't do any more extra printing.

6. MAYBE INKY COULD USE THIS NOTE AS AN ADVISORY to all Homes straight from me—only one copy per Home‚ explaining why we're having to suddenly cut down their lit because they have suddenly cut down their gifts!

7. THIS IS A SAD REPAYMENT FOR THE FAVOR I DID THEM!: I freed them from their tyrants and their 25 to 50% taxes, and so they say thanks by cutting our bare little 10% down nearly 25%!

8. IS THIS THE WAY THEY THANK ME?! I'm reminded of a sad line from Shakespeare: "Blow, blow, thou Winter Wind!—Thou art not so unkind as man's ingratitude!"

9. THEY HAVE REALLY HURT ME!—WHAT A BIRTHDAY PRESENT! Thanks a lot!—I feel like quitting! I've had more mercy on them than they've had on me!

10. MAYBE I SHOULD JUST RETIRE and quit writing Letters that they don't appreciate! We'll not only have to

11. CUT DOWN ON OUR LIT TO THEM, BUT ALSO ON ALL OF OUR WORLD SERVICES such as answering their mail and phone calls, printing their books, the new comics, children's educational materials, NNNs, Family News, processing of Questionnaires and Clearances, KQS services, Home services‚ helping Pioneers, Baby Bonuses, etc.

12. SORRY—NO MON, NO FUN!—So Sad!—Your Dad (Or am I?)

P.S. —Or we could be a little tyrannical ourselves and raise our 10% to their 25%! That still would only be half of what some of them were paying!

13. THEY WERE BETTER TO THE TYRANTS than they are now being to us poor little 10-percenters at World Services!

14. WELL, FROM NOW ON THEY'RE ONLY GONNA GET WHAT THEY PAY FOR! Their gifts are now running 25% below our actual World Services costs! So we're going to have to cut our budget!

15. IF THEY CAN'T PAY FOR THESE WORLD SERVICES, WE CAN'T AFFORD TO GIVE THEM! If the kids don't appreciate 'em and don't want the Letters anymore, we might as well close up shop and disband!

16. I THREW OUT THEIR TYRANTS and cancelled their heavy taxes‚ but now it looks like they're trying to throw me and Maria and our World Services out too by even cutting down our little 10%! God help us all!

17. IF THIS IS ALL THEY CARE after all these years, if this is all they can do for love of me and Maria and the Lord‚ maybe they need tyrants!

18. MAYBE THE TYRANTS WERE RIGHT!—MAYBE YOU CAN'T TRUST THE PEOPLE WITH FREEDOM! They worked harder under the whip than they are now working under our love!

19. "FATHER, FORGIVE THEM!—THEY KNOW NOT WHAT THEY DO!"—"Will ye also go away?" "Jesus wept!" (Lk.23:34, Jn.7:67, Jn.11:35.) "Farewell to Arms!"—It was a great Revolution!—But no more!—Unless you're willing to fight!—And give!—God help you! I'm tired! I feel like quitting! Maybe they all want to! God help us! I feel like crying!—The saddest Dad on his saddest birthday!