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Mind, Body, Soul
The Red Cross
By Mona Lease
Greetings, Gals! I saw on a social media cite where the Red Cross got
bashed pretty hard. The guy called the Red Cross the "Red Lost." He
said: "They are the most inept, unorganized organization I have ever
seen." He stated he's been in Kingwood (Houston, Texas suburb)
"fighting this thing" (Hurricane Harvey?) and he's not seen one person
from the "Red Lost." He says every time he turns on the tv...the Red
Cross is receiving multiplied millions of hundreds of dollars in
donations. He asks: "What are you guys (the Red Cross) doing with it
(the donated money)? How many contractors are you (the Red Cross)
helping us with?" The guy (a town commissioner of Kingwood) never said
the Red Cross was called and they did not answer the call. He never
said there was a Red Cross office in his area. His major complaint was
how much money he thinks the Red Cross gets and why contractors were
not paid with Red Cross funds to help Kingwood...my take on his remarks.
The Red Cross - as we know it today - was founded in 1881 - May 21. It
is the only congressionally mandated organization to provide aid to
victims of disaster and is responsible for fulfilling mandates of the
Geneva Convention within the United States.
For this column and given that we are women taking a look at ourselves
and our actions/responses...consider:
Clara Barton...born 1821...school teacher...worked in the US Patent
Office...took a look around...saw a need...and founded the Red Cross.
This was in the United States. After the Civil War she talked some
more and the Red Cross was instituted around the world...the
International Red Cross. The first US disaster relief operation for the
Red Cross was in Michigan due to major forest fires...in August...1881.
The Red Cross had only been "born" a few months earlier. This
organization renders aid in wartime and peacetime alike.
Betsy Ross is credited with sewing our first American Flag. She sewed
"ship's colors" or the flag under which they sailed. The story is that
Betsy thought the guys who were fighting should have "colors" under
which they fought...like the ships did. Motorcycle clubs today have
"colors" under which they ride.
During the Civil War...(and probably all through the years)...women cut
up bed sheets and rolled them into bandages for the medics (battlefield
Dr) to use on the wounded. Over the years these bandages have been
perfected.
Through the years it seems that we women have taken what looks like a
"lesser role" in life. And yet it was needful.
The USO - United Service Organization - has been providing live
entertainment (comedians, musicians, etc) to our Armed Forces and their
families. It has over 160 locations in 14 countries around the world.
The USO is affectionately dubbed "The Force Behind the Force." Their
motto is: "Until Everyone Comes Home"...(they travel and tour...keeping
our Fighting Force's spirits buoyed).. Women travel through war zones
with men to protect them.
So - maybe what looked like a "backseat" wasn't really a backseat.
Maybe it was a position of honor (of some type). Maybe the honor was we
were thought of as "worth protecting."
Sometimes all you need is for someone to just be there, even if they
can't solve your problems. Just knowing there is someone who cares can
make all the difference. sun.gazing.com
The best is yet to be!! MONA
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