Those who know me will tell you I have no problem donating my parts. I give blood regularly. I've donated more than my share of platelets. I'm on the bone marrow donor list and have an organ donor card.
Donating my parts has never been a problem.
Until now.
Yesterday, here at work, signs were put up. My employer's name was emblazoned in huge script "invites you to donate at their blood drive". And, once again, Nonsys has found a way to put something innocuous is the most offensive way.
And I'm the only one who sees it.
"What's wrong with that," Becky, who sadly is also a writer, asked. "It is their blood drive."
The problem, I explained to her, is one of relation. In this case, the relation of US versus THEM is firmly maintained. This isn't OUR workplace. It's THEIRS. This isn't OUR corporation (even though we all own stock in it). It is THEIRS. And it isn't even OUR blood drive, even if it is OUR blood that could end up going to US. No, it is THEIRS - and make no bones about it.
Charity drives, and I doubt there's anything more charitable than giving away your parts, have always shown the best of our underlying (and lying far too low these days if you ask me) socialist nature. You certainly couldn't call giving away your parts as capitalist. But when these idiots claim that even our blood is theirs, well, kinda makes me want to deny them the privilege of poking my skin. At least, I think I still own my skin.
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2 comments:
I understand what you're saying, but....
not everyone is as donor-responsible as you (and all you do is commendable).
It's just a way to try and give people a sense of community.
Like, let's do it for the Gipper!!
It's all good isn't it if it just gets people to get out there and donate, right?
Trust me, if it was just the idea of them advertising it that offended me, I'd smack myself. Unfortunately, for us all, fewer and fewer people are remembering that words mean things. They're our only way of reaching each other. So, when my employer insists on using an exclusive possessive rather than on that is inclusive, such as a reference do our deeds, "Be a part of our Blood Drive", and the like, it offends me that they'd be so thoughtless. It also offends me that they don't ask one of their writers about the language... such as myself!
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