Give me my cloak, lest they think I tremble from fear

2003-03-29 - 6:56 a.m.

I woke up this morning around quarter to six. Wide awake, sunshine pouring through my window. My back ached and I needed to pee, but I also felt good, ready for the day. Saturday. Can there be a better day than that? I opened my door quietly, hoping not to awaken my parents, to retain a bit of privacy for just a few more minutes. I relieved myself and wandered out to the living room. Put my laptop on my lap and cranked back the recliner. Caught up on my e-mail. The sun is still shining brightly. Saturday is still beckoning invitingly. Hold on, Saturday, I'll come play, soon.

But first, let me rant about people and their meanness and stupidity. The Sacramento Blood Bank has recently been designated as one of the blood banks that will be sending blood to our troops overseas should the need arise. So far, the need hasn't arisen. The military does have their own blood supply, but if things get bad, they could run out and then we'd send some their way. After this announcement was made, many of our lovely citizens cancelled their appointments to give blood, in protest of the war. This makes me so mad I can hardly breathe. You complain that Bush is killing our soldiers, but now you are killing them. Sure, let's not send them blood. And heck, while we're at it, let's not send them food or water either. Yeah, let's kill our soldiers, then the war will be over! What are you guys thinking? Are you thinking? In the meantime, our blood isn't being sent there. It's being used in our local hospitals just like it always has. And has it ever occurred to you where your blood goes here? You know the man who shoots his wife and kids and then does a piss poor job of shooting himself and comes in bleeding to our hospital, did you know that your blood goes to him too? Are our soldiers less deserving of blood than that guy? You make no sense. Use the brain power you have. Protesting just to protest is not cool, make sure you have a clue.

But then the subject of donating blood has always been one of my sore spots. I don't understand people who refuse to give blood. It's an easy way to save someone else's life. If you've got some reason why your blood would not be useful to someone else, like having a blood disease or taking drugs, or a reason why donating blood would be physically harmful to you, then I understand. I understand if you have religious beliefs that dictate that donating blood is bad. But if none of those things apply to you, you should be out there donating blood every eight weeks. The whole process takes half an hour and all that is required of you is that you sit there. Who can't handle that? So what's your excuse? You don't like needles? Don't look. Suck it up. What's a fear of needles compared to someone bleeding to death? You think it will hurt? If you've got a good phlebotomist, it doesn't. And if you've got a bad one, you might feel a little pinching or burning, for all of five or ten minutes. You can't stand a little pain for ten minutes? How about the kid undergoing chemo who needs a little boost of his blood count so he can get another round? I bet he would give anything to only have to suffer a little pain for ten minutes. So what are you waiting for? Go give blood. Don't know where? You can find a list of donation centers in the U.S here. This list isn't comprehensive, but I'm willing to bet you have internet access and can find a place all by yourself. Prefer the phone? Call 1-888-BLOOD-88 or 1-800-GIVE-LIFE. Go on, get.

Yours,
Eucalia