[Vision2020] Moscow Community Blood Drive

[Debbie Gray]

Well, Donovan, if you had just started a well-stated dialogue (or 
even monologue) about disenfranchisement of various groups in regards 
to blood donation and/or blood recipients, I would have listened. If 
you had chosen to talk about how to educate people so they don't make 
a 'wasted trip' to donate blood (see also the Red Cross and various 
other organizations that will give lots of information plus a 1-800 
number for any potential donors with questions), I would have 
listened. If you had pointed out that people not eligible to donate 
can do other things to encourage the process, I would have listened.

Instead you throw out the following comments:

>Mr Merkle,
>Does this blood drive discrimate against Gays, Lesbians,
>Bisexuals, Blacks, and non-Christians from giving blood?

Nowhere does that state your dissatisfication with current blood 
donor laws. In fact, if I weren't so naïve and hadn't just driven in 
on my tractor from the back 40 of HicksVille cause I ain't from 
around here, I would even think that you were specifically targeting 
a New St. Andrews/Logos/Christ Church/etc sponsored event in the 
attempt to further air your opinions on that organization. 

I don't think the US is lost in the 1950s regarding their acceptance 
of blood donations. If it were, there wouldn't really be concerns 
about hepatitis, HIV, mad cow disease, etc. Weren't we blissfully 
unaware? OK maybe communists weren't allowed to donate their "pinko 
blood"... Unfortunately, the reality at present  concerns these 
things in our environment. Look at the World Blood Donor Day website 
(a joint project of many different organizations). 
http://www.wbdd.org/qna/index.html 
They have the same recommendations:  

"You should not donate blood if:
    * You have or may recently have contracted a sexually transmitted 
disease, such as HIV or syphilis, that can be passed on to a patient 
who receives your blood
    * Your lifestyle puts you at risk of contracting an infection 
that can be transmitted through your blood: for example, if you have 
more than one sexual partner or have sexual contact with prostitutes
    * You have ever injected drugs
    * You have recently had a tattoo, skin scarification or ear or 
body piercing
    * You have had sexual contact with anyone in the above 
categories. "

Are these too restrictive and limiting the supply? Yes. Is it the 
fault of Christ Church? umm, no. Can you do anything about it? I 
don't know, but you could try. Do people get hepatitis from tattoo 
parlors, yes. Do people who have risky sexual activities have a 
higher incidence of who knows what? (oh my GOSH! The World Blood 
Donation Day group is discriminating against PROSTITUTES AND THOSE 
WHO MIGHT ENGAGE IN BUSINESS TRANSACTIONS WITH PROSTITUTES!!! STOP 
THE PRESS!!! I am appalled!!!  A heroin user who slams it in his 
viens with a needle he found in the 4th stall of the metro station! 
Will no one respect his civil rights to get $50 for some plasma!?! A 
drippy sailor with syphillis? Oh the inhumanity!)

And how do blood collection policies translate into 'discriminatory 
communty practices? (quote:  "If saying something against 
discrimination that is destructive to the community makes me create 
of "cesspool of spite" then that is fine, I will create more 
cesspools of spite by bringing up more discriminating policies in the 
community as they come up.) Again, I think you are specifically 
targeting a blood drive sponsored by a group you find questionable, 
not just policies around the world on blood collection.

Also, I don't see how you make the leap that attitudes that are, 
gasp, different than yours are the ones that have "allowed hatred, 
bigotry and stereotyping to last for so long in this country"
I had no idea! I need to refresh my attitudes and recatalog the ones 
that focus on hatred (hmmm. the only thing I don't like is arrogant 
opinionated superior types who are unwilling to respect the opinions 
of somebody else, but that probably doesn't apply in this forum) 
bigotry (say, bigotry against a church or people who have a different 
opinion of things? Does that sound familiar?) or stereotyping (all 
christ church members are white christian males who discriminate 
rampanatly against everyone OTHER! I know it is true for I have read 
it in the Moscow Pullman Daily Snooze!!!!)
 
So really, Donovan, I don't think your initial post had anything to 
do w/blood donation policies. It was simply a knee-jerk response to 
the idea that a group you don't like, you disagree with, and that you 
would rather see disappear from this town is organizing a blood 
drive. Sure, complain about policies, distribute information, work to 
educate peole, change things. That's great, I'm all for it. But 
condemn a blood drive because of one of the hosts (who seems to have 
brought along quite a diverse crowd of other supporters)? What is the 
point?

Debbie

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DebbieGray                 dgray at uidaho.edu
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