Somehow, the concept of helping out, of not just making the effort but actually bleeding for fellow man, has become immersed in hypocrisy and prejudice.....
Well, I have tried to be a helping soul...a person who will give a hand up to anyone who is ready to ask and receive ....we all know those few people who are definitely in need but have no desire for help. But, there are organizations, people standing up and calling out to the rest of us to help our fellow man. How can we refuse? How can I say no.....
I'm beginning to learn the merits of that little word.
Oh, the tease, the tease....get to your dang point! Sorry...I'm trying to be dramatic. So, my point: Did you know that giving blood is such an incredibly safe and secure procedure, and that the donation you make today can help dozens of people? Did you know that the blood donated is screened for drugs, disease, general health of the donor, and even stale dated? It is cared for like the individual golden life supporting gift it is. I am so proud that the donations I am making are so useful and needful. It seems something simple I can manage...bleed in a bag. I may be pee shy, but I can bleed on command - provided you have a needle or something. I'm so proud that I even have managed to get my first gallon pin recently.
But, my pride and desire to help become compromised by the prejudice of the very folks who ask me to come bleed for them. Did you know that Black Americans are prone to Scicle Cell Anemia and heart disease? Well, we don't want blood that is a potentially sick persons! Did you know that Native Americans are prone to alcoholism? Well, we don't want blood that is potentially from a drunk person! Hey, did you know that Caucasian Americans are prone to obesity? Well, we don't want blood with a high fatty content! Did you know that persons of a homosexual orientation are prone to AIDS? Well, we don't want to get blood from someone who has AIDS!
Did you know that only one of those statements is true?
Yep, my pride and joy, my sincere gratitude to a loved person who requires blood transfusions and so compells me to give blood, is done with an organizations that has no problem with prejudice.....they don't seem to mind it at all. If you have homosexual relations, if you do the wild thing with a man, no matter how careful, how clean, how loving...do not give blood. They won't take it. We're sickies.
There would be an outcry of racial prejudice if a so-called Black man were to be denied based on his ethnicity. Same for the Native American. The Caucasian American would create a cry of protest running all the way to Fox News... But the Gay man? Eh, we can live with that. After all, the white, red, black, yellow, blue, purple, aquamarine, etc., man or woman, despite humping like bunnies, n-e-v-e-r contract aids. Nope....that's just for the rainbow man. See what happens when you align yourself with more than one color?
So, I comfort myself with the knowledge that giving blood is necessary and needful. I don't lie on the questionaire.......I have a really big closet and I am really lonely! But, I don't feel right about it.
