Blood And Guts @ MindSay 
Howdy Howdy all, since Myclette posting African American rodeo/old west figures I will post Black Inventors to offer a balance between outdoors and indoors. First up, Dr. Charles Richard Drew:
Dr. Charles Richard Drew (June 3, 1904 - April 1, 1950) was an American medical doctor and surgeon who started the idea of a blood bank and a system for the long-term preservation of blood plasma (he found that plasma kept longer than whole blood). His ideas revolutionized the medical profession and have saved many, many lives.
Dr. Drew set up and operated the blood plasma bank at the Presbyterian Hospital in New York City, NY. Drew's project was the model for the Red Cross' system of blood banks, of which he became the first director. Drew resigned his position as director after the US War Department issued a directive stating that blood taken from white donors should not be mixed with blood taken from black donors. Dr. Drew strongly objected, and stated "the blood of individual human beings may differ by blood groupings, but there is absolutely no scientific basis to indicate any difference in human blood from race to race." Dr. Drew also formed Britain's blood bank system.
Dr. Drew died on April 1, 1950, after a car accident in in rural North Carolina. Although there is a legend that he died as a result of being denied a blood transfusion and medical care from a "whites-only" hospital, Dr. Drew got immediate medical attention, in part from the other doctors (his friends) who were in the car accident with him (but were less severely injured). Dr. Drew was admitted to a mixed-race hospital, but died after being treated for massive internal injuries. A U.S. postage stamp was issued in 1981 to honor Dr. Drew.
For more information on this fine American click the link http://www.albany.edu/~cdsc/drewbio.HTM
And now for the poetry...here goes....
We Wear The Mask
We wear the mask that grins and lies,
it hides our cheeks and shades our eyes,-
This debt we pay to human guile;
With torn and bleeding hearts we smile,
And mouth with myriad subtlities.
Why should the world be over-wise,
In counting all our tears and sighs?
Nay, let them only see us, while
We wear the mask.
We smile, but, O great Christ, our cries
To thee from tortured souls arise.
We sing, but oh the clay is vile
Beneath our feet, and long the mile;
But let the world dream otherwise,
We wear the mask.--Paul Lawrence Dunbar
Goddess Bless
- Razor Wire
- Blood
- Guts
- Hack Saw
- Guns
- Makenzie Vega
Feel free to add to this list. I'm going to watch the extended versions of "The Big Fat Kill" and "That Yellow Bastard" now that i've read them both. I think it's better to read the graphic novels before seeing the movie.
In my most recent entry, I talked about the issue of trucks being deployed on the streets with controversial and graphic images on them. The images are of dead bodies in Iraq - blood and guts and all. The caption on each of these is "Mission Accomplished?" A political statement, of course, about President Bush's campaign for democracy in Iraq which he thought was achieved over two years ago.
And as some of the more suspicious Mindsayers figured out -- it was just a figure of my imagination. Perhaps it's because I admitted to a lie last week at this time. I applaud you for checking up on me -- it's honestly the smartest thing to do with anything you read on the Net.
So -- yeah. These graphic anti-war trucks do not exist.
BUT...
as bbmyls2go pointed out, the anti-abortion rights movement has been using graphic displays of blood and tissue for quite a while to further their campaign. No matter which side one may be on the abortion rights issue, I think we can all agree that the pictures are pretty vile and disgusting.
Yes. They're putting these images on trucks. Since 2001. And, now, in fact, on airplane banners.
It's called the "Reproductive 'Choice' Campaign," and it's sponsored by "The Center for Bio-Ethical Reform," which is a non-profit organization which includes a disclaimer of "CBR condemns all abortion related violence and will not associate with groups or individuals who fail to condemn such violence.:" on each of their webpages. It's pretty clear what their purpose is. But in case you need to find out more, you can peruse their many photographs of abortions, aborted fetuses, a mastectomy, and even some "e-cards" you can send to your friends with some graphic pictures of abortion related material.
Their campaign to put mammoth-sized photos of aborted fetuses on the sides and backs of trucks began in 2001. They are each accompanied with a one word caption: "choice."
My stance on abortion rights is completely irrelevant here. As I had mentioned in my previous post, my concern is that I -- and my kid -- are exposed to this in all of its 12-foot high glory simply by being outside in a public space. Blood and tissue. It's not on a TV channel which I can turn off. It's not on a website I can block. It's not on a flyer I can crumble up and throw away. It's not at a demonstration in front of a building which I can drive right by. No. These are moving billboards in traffic. I won't argue if what's shown is a fetus, an embryo, a human being or the potential for life. What's being shown is blood and tissue. And more blood.
Why did I fabricate my original example? Because I would be against blood and tissue being displayed on the side of a truck which has a left-leaning political agenda as well. I'd hope that others out there don't feel the need to discern between the types of blood and tissue as to which is appropriate and which is not in this situation.
It's a roundabout way for me to attempt to get my point across. I hope I did.
(Oh -- for those of you who want to Google this for authenticity purposes, "Reproductive Choice Campaign" should give you whatever information you need. The pictures are graphic and I chose not to link to this site directly in this blog entry.)
making me feel
better and worse.
i cant get through
no matter how i try.
the secucity i once knew
has kissed me goodbye.
dont come back.
dont see me cry.
i dont want you to know
how much hurt youve caused.
it cant be helped
though i wish it could
leaving me helpless
drifting alone.
abandoned by the two people
i counted on the most.
roles reversed.
places switched.
it's my turn to be responsible.
i hate you for leaving
yet i'll miss you until you come back.