|
Edited on Mon Jul-21-03 08:45 AM by JackDragna
I'm a regular blood donor that normally goes to the same spot here in Baton Rouge to donate. The group would occasionally call to remind me when I was all right to donate again. Anyway, this Sunday, I get a call from the group at 8 A.M. reminding me that I've been eligible to donate for three weeks, yet I haven't come in. I say I've been busy and haven't been able to get away from my responsibilities to donate. The nice lady on the phone then proceeds to verbally chastise me, not angrily, just in a very patronizing manner, "Well, sir, you really do have an obligation that you're not fulfilling and I'm very disappointed." She tries to get me to commit to a hard date for me to come in and donate..this, from a supposed "charitable" group.
What really burned my bacon, however, was her assertion about that the need for blood is higher because of the "terrorist alerts." I ask her what she meant, if the level had been raised recently and I just didn't notice: her reply was "Oh, you know, the same alert that's been going on since 9/11." I don't remember exactly what she said next, mostly due to my increasing anger, but it was something about how real Americans need to donate blood. She eventually gave up trying to get me to come in at a particular time, told me the walk-in hours for the 5th time during the call and hung up.
I don't know what sort of screwed-up world we live in now where I get the hard-sell, mindless appeal to patriotism approach to getting me to donate blood. I'm wagering the group I've been donating with might make some profit from selling blood to hospitals, as my blood has some kind of rare protein that fights cancer and is sought after for transfusions for cancer patients. I think that next time I donate, I'll just go to the Red Cross.
edited for spelling.
|