Fwd: Jews, Camps, and the Red Cross: sad but no surprise for me

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Carl Jarvis <carjar82@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 10 Nov 2014 10:19:52 -0800
Subject: Jews, Camps, and the Red Cross: sad but no surprise for me
To: Blind Democracy Discussion List <blind-democracy@octothorp.org>

Miriam wrote in part: "...However, the most shocking part of the
article is the information of how Palestinians were treated by
Israelis in Israeli concentration camps, just
after Jews had experienced Nazi concentration camps."
I used to marvel, as I thumbed my way back through the pages of
history, how many times Jews were driven from one land or another.
Unwanted, hated or feared, they were driven out or rounded up and
tortured and murdered. One would hope that such a history of abuse
would make a People filled with understanding for those in similar
straits.
But that does not seem to be a part of our human nature. If it were,
we'd be living in a time of total peace and love. Any of us who cared
to trace our linage back into ancient times, would discover periods
where our Ancestors were persecuted for no particular reason, and
driven from their homes. That's how many of us came to be born in
this "Land of the Free and Home of the Brave". Our People fled to
this promised land to escape persecution, only to end up persecuting
others who did not conform to their standards. And the children of
those very persecuted people went on to massacre the Natives and the
Mexicans, enslave the Africans, place into bondage the poor who
followed them to this Land from Europe and China, and force other
nations to pay homage to the mighty expanding Empire.
So as I say, it saddens me, but does not shock or surprise me. It
only points to our need to scrap the foundation on which this present
civilization is built, and start with another blue print.

Carl Jarvis


On 11/9/14, Miriam Vieni <miriamvieni@optonline.net> wrote:
> The Red Cross had a bad reputation among World War 2 veterans and just
> recently, I read or heard about issues that arose during several of our
> recent hurricanes in which the National Red Cross left much to be desired.
> However, the most shocking part of the article is the information of how
> Palestinians were treated by Israelis in Israeli concentration camps, just
> after Jews had experienced Nazi concentration camps.
>
> Miriam
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Blind-Democracy [mailto:blind-democracy-bounces@octothorp.org] On
> Behalf Of Carl Jarvis
> Sent: Sunday, November 09, 2014 10:24 AM
> To: Blind Democracy Discussion List
> Subject: Jews, Camps, and the Red Cross
>
> An interesting article. Reference to the Red Cross of the 1940's, brought
> me back to my childhood, growing up as a Working Class kid in a White
> Collar
> All White community in Seattle. In my school we held God, the Flag,
> Mother,
> Apple Pie, and the Red Cross as Sacred. Oh yes, we included the March of
> Dimes at certain times. During our daily flag salute, some teachers
> offered
> up short prayers to our all white, christian God, asking Him to watch over
> and protect the above mentioned Sacred Ones.
> I believed that all of our pennies and dimes that we dropped into the
> collection jars, went to help people all around the world who had been
> driven from their homes by floods, earthquakes, tornadoes and mud slides.
> In my All White cocoon on Queen Ann Hill, I thought in terms of an all
> white
> world. Even though I knew there were Asians and Africans who looked
> different than "My People", I just didn't think of our Red Cross helping
> them. But that was my boyish view of the world. For some years I clung to
> this notion that the Red Cross spent every cent on charity, and I gladly
> put
> my coins in the collection jars.
> It wasn't until my best buddy joined the Coast Guard, and was sent out to
> aid flood victims North of Seattle, that I learned of a very different Red
> Cross. In fact, the subject didn't come up until some time later when the
> Red Cross drive was in full swing. Dick said, "I wouldn't give them a
> single red cent". I was startled. He went on to tell me of sloshing
> through the flood waters, searching for survivors and escorting them to
> shelters where the Red Cross had set up canteens. "They charged everyone
> for everything. Even the civilian volunteers were shaken down for
> "donations" in order to get a cup of coffee."
> I told Dick that this was a shock to me. I believed that my donations were
> used to provide these services free to those in need. And I was angry that
> people giving their time and even risking their lives would be expected to
> pay.
> Dick was honest to a fault, but nonetheless, I began checking into the
> "charity" provided by the Red Cross. And I looked up the administrative
> costs. I no longer have the figures for that time period back in the
> 1950's, but it can be found on-line for current costs.
> My wife and I give to many Causes, but for the past sixty years I've not
> given one cent to the Red Cross.
> Carl Jarvis
>
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