Comments on: OSU + discriminatory blood drives http://ericstoller.com/blog/2008/05/17/osu-discriminatory-blood-drives/ | social justice | higher education | technology | Tue, 07 Oct 2008 07:48:54 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.7 by: Eric Stoller http://ericstoller.com/blog/2008/05/17/osu-discriminatory-blood-drives/#comment-25830 Mon, 26 May 2008 16:50:34 +0000 http://ericstoller.com/blog/2008/05/17/osu-discriminatory-blood-drives/#comment-25830 <strong>@Alumni</strong> - I think that the FDA will not repeal this homophobic policy until those who are in power or are impacted economically ask for a change. Banning campus blood drives forces the Red Cross to ask the FDA to re-think this policy. Those who are in power will be forced to listen to marginalized voices. It reminds me of the Civil Rights Movement and/or the Women's Rights Movement. Real change occurred when those who were in power had to listen to people who they oppressed. <ul><li>Women were not given the right to vote until those who were in power (Men) passed legislation.</li> <li>Jim Crow in the South did not end because African Americans wanted it to. It ended because those in power (White people) ended it.</li></ul> The FDA policy will not simply be eradicated because of a few campus protests. Those in power at colleges/universities (campus Presidents) have the power to affect change because an entire campus that no longer holds blood drives sends a powerful message to the powers at be. <strong>@No Thanks</strong> - "The tiny, silly issues in our country that you discuss..." - I guess I didn't realize that racism, sexism, ableism, homophobia, heterosexism, etc. were "tiny, silly issues." Maybe it's because they are neither silly nor tiny issues. They are immense issues that affect everyone in this country. It takes an immense amount of privilege and ignorance to dismiss institutions of oppression. I write about these issues because I feel that it's important to get the word out to asshats like yourself that these issues are important. @Alumni - I think that the FDA will not repeal this homophobic policy until those who are in power or are impacted economically ask for a change. Banning campus blood drives forces the Red Cross to ask the FDA to re-think this policy. Those who are in power will be forced to listen to marginalized voices. It reminds me of the Civil Rights Movement and/or the Women’s Rights Movement. Real change occurred when those who were in power had to listen to people who they oppressed.

  • Women were not given the right to vote until those who were in power (Men) passed legislation.
  • Jim Crow in the South did not end because African Americans wanted it to. It ended because those in power (White people) ended it.

The FDA policy will not simply be eradicated because of a few campus protests. Those in power at colleges/universities (campus Presidents) have the power to affect change because an entire campus that no longer holds blood drives sends a powerful message to the powers at be.

@No Thanks - “The tiny, silly issues in our country that you discuss…” - I guess I didn’t realize that racism, sexism, ableism, homophobia, heterosexism, etc. were “tiny, silly issues.” Maybe it’s because they are neither silly nor tiny issues. They are immense issues that affect everyone in this country. It takes an immense amount of privilege and ignorance to dismiss institutions of oppression. I write about these issues because I feel that it’s important to get the word out to asshats like yourself that these issues are important.

]]> by: alumni http://ericstoller.com/blog/2008/05/17/osu-discriminatory-blood-drives/#comment-25817 Mon, 26 May 2008 04:39:46 +0000 http://ericstoller.com/blog/2008/05/17/osu-discriminatory-blood-drives/#comment-25817 I am a OSU alumni myself and a student affairs professional. I struggled as an undergrad with this same topic and felt half guilty whenever I gave blood. Sort of damned if I do damned if I don't. I even spoke to my homosexual friends about the issue. In the end I chose to give blood but also to wear the pins that supported the right of anyone to give as long as they are tested. Not sure if they still give those pins out from the LGBTQQIA community. I have to agree with some of the people that posted above. I could not walk away and not help those that might need my blood no matter what the agenda was. I wish the rules were not as they are, but I also could not justify not giving blood. its not like the blood was destined to go to a homophobic person. My loved one, or even yours might need that blood and I could not live with myself if I did not give. As far as what people as saying about the statistics of men who have sex with men being at a higher risk for infection then why don't they do the same sort of rules as they do with tattoos. Something like I am a ma who has had sex with a man in the last year. Or I have had unprotected sex with a man in the last 2 years. Its something. I am a OSU alumni myself and a student affairs professional. I struggled as an undergrad with this same topic and felt half guilty whenever I gave blood. Sort of damned if I do damned if I don’t. I even spoke to my homosexual friends about the issue. In the end I chose to give blood but also to wear the pins that supported the right of anyone to give as long as they are tested. Not sure if they still give those pins out from the LGBTQQIA community. I have to agree with some of the people that posted above. I could not walk away and not help those that might need my blood no matter what the agenda was. I wish the rules were not as they are, but I also could not justify not giving blood. its not like the blood was destined to go to a homophobic person. My loved one, or even yours might need that blood and I could not live with myself if I did not give. As far as what people as saying about the statistics of men who have sex with men being at a higher risk for infection then why don’t they do the same sort of rules as they do with tattoos. Something like I am a ma who has had sex with a man in the last year. Or I have had unprotected sex with a man in the last 2 years. Its something.

]]> by: Dennis http://ericstoller.com/blog/2008/05/17/osu-discriminatory-blood-drives/#comment-25482 Wed, 21 May 2008 00:34:23 +0000 http://ericstoller.com/blog/2008/05/17/osu-discriminatory-blood-drives/#comment-25482 Oooohhhh! Concern troll! Oooohhhh! Concern troll!

]]> by: No thanks http://ericstoller.com/blog/2008/05/17/osu-discriminatory-blood-drives/#comment-25477 Tue, 20 May 2008 21:51:26 +0000 http://ericstoller.com/blog/2008/05/17/osu-discriminatory-blood-drives/#comment-25477 Eric, I came across your site because I was doing a google image search for some Oregon pictures. I do enjoy blogs, and scanned yours, and I admit that I haven't read it thoroughly (boy do you like to write:) In any case, I did notice that you write a lot about racism and discrimination and such, but I was wondering, besides awareness and gatherings, what do you do to help others that experience discrimination or are underprivileged? I don't know, maybe you do help them, but talk is talk, and education is education, but help is needed. The tiny, silly issues in our country that you discuss, the one in AZ or the racists who aren't going to listen, are minor in comparison to the great needs that are beyond our borders. There are millions of orphans and widows and refugees whose needs are things like schooling, food, clothing, jobs, medical care. As I said, maybe you do address these things, and I missed it, but for a leftist-whatever-the-description-was, your perspective might need to open up a little and see the bigger picture. Maybe a help, A concerned reader Eric,

I came across your site because I was doing a google image search for some Oregon pictures. I do enjoy blogs, and scanned yours, and I admit that I haven’t read it thoroughly (boy do you like to write:) In any case, I did notice that you write a lot about racism and discrimination and such, but I was wondering, besides awareness and gatherings, what do you do to help others that experience discrimination or are underprivileged? I don’t know, maybe you do help them, but talk is talk, and education is education, but help is needed. The tiny, silly issues in our country that you discuss, the one in AZ or the racists who aren’t going to listen, are minor in comparison to the great needs that are beyond our borders. There are millions of orphans and widows and refugees whose needs are things like schooling, food, clothing, jobs, medical care. As I said, maybe you do address these things, and I missed it, but for a leftist-whatever-the-description-was, your perspective might need to open up a little and see the bigger picture.

Maybe a help,
A concerned reader

]]> by: FinanceBuzz http://ericstoller.com/blog/2008/05/17/osu-discriminatory-blood-drives/#comment-25373 Mon, 19 May 2008 01:23:25 +0000 http://ericstoller.com/blog/2008/05/17/osu-discriminatory-blood-drives/#comment-25373 Paul, you should read Think Don't Feel's response. To suggest that an organization is homophobic is a weak comeback. The homosexual "lobby" (for lack of a better term) has put their agenda ahead of more important matters in the past. They wanted a turn the United States military into a social experiment, even at the risk of weakening out national security. Now, they want to potential instill further risk into our national blood supply, again to sooth the feelings of the homosexual community. If I thought this protest was based on increasing the blood supply, I might see the point. However, this it is more about pushing an agenda with regard to any of the repercussions. If homosexuals feel their ability to help society is impeded by not being able to give blood, there are many ways they can volunteer or contribute that would raise no public health questions. Paul, you should read Think Don’t Feel’s response. To suggest that an organization is homophobic is a weak comeback. The homosexual “lobby” (for lack of a better term) has put their agenda ahead of more important matters in the past. They wanted a turn the United States military into a social experiment, even at the risk of weakening out national security. Now, they want to potential instill further risk into our national blood supply, again to sooth the feelings of the homosexual community. If I thought this protest was based on increasing the blood supply, I might see the point. However, this it is more about pushing an agenda with regard to any of the repercussions. If homosexuals feel their ability to help society is impeded by not being able to give blood, there are many ways they can volunteer or contribute that would raise no public health questions.

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