Confessions Of A Public Radio Freeloader

When I was in the fourth grade I dropped Catholicism from my life. I skipped catechism or CCD, whatever they call it these days, Sunday school for Catholics. We lived in Detroit, there were so many Catholics in Detroit at the time, that we had Catechism after school on Monday's. That was at a public school. The cafeteria served fish on Friday's. I remember asking why the collection plate is so active at church. Can't they worship in someone's living room? I suggested this to the priest when I was ten. My mother elbowed me to shut up. I just thought it might cut costs. Oh yeah, back to my departure from the church, I skipped the holy class to play little league baseball, my true passion. The next week I told the nun who was my teacher that I was playing baseball. I knew the truth was the best way. She scolded me and said something like I might end up in Hell if I continue to be so carefree about my faith. My heathen father was constantly talking about how unstable nuns are. I don't remember him using the word celebate, but it was in the air.

Today and yesterday,my local NPR's pledge drive has been interrupting programming. I keep hearing people come on and say, you are listening for free. They talk about people paying for cable, but they're not willing to pay for NPR, or buying goods that are advertised on radio or tv, so they are paying for shitty radio or tv indirectly.

I'm not a good person. I've never given money to the station (I don't have cable though). The guilt strategy is so awful. Is there a better way? I don't know. It reminds me of my brief career as a Catholic, all the guilt. It seems to be the antithesis of what NPR offers. You get something intelligent, then they expect you to fall for their pleas for money. All those years of freeloading has helped develop my critical thinking skills enough that I won't fall for the guilt tactics.