An Open Letter to MDA

Posted on September 4, 2011 by John Galt

Muscular Dystrophy Association – USA
National Headquarters
3300 E. Sunrise Drive
Tucson, AZ 85718
1-800-572-1717

 

Dear MDA,

No Jerry? No explanation?

No Money.

It’s really very simple: do not ask me to do good for the children but sit idly by while you do evil to the man. Jerry deserves better … a LOT better … than to be kicked to the curb. He deserved a ‘victory lap’. He deserved to resign. He did NOT deserve to be kicked off the team like a worn-out sock.

Except for Jerry, there would BE no team. Do you recall how small MDA was before Jerry? Until he started doing the telethons, I had never heard of you … and you had never seen a dime of my money. Without Jerry, all but a few of you would be working street corners or waiting for your welfare check … possibly both. Jerry put the meat on your plate and, for all that, you stuck it to him.

If you think I’m cutting you a check this year, think again … you needed Jerry more than he needed you.

And I have never needed you at all.

– Jude

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Online alla the time?

Posted on August 31, 2011 by John Galt

smallshutterstock_65132434 How can you tell when you are spending too much time online (or otherwise engaged in using your computer)?

For me, that awareness may have dawned a few minutes ago: I was reading my Bible and reached for the mouse to scroll down.

 

How about you? Any cues about excessive usage yet?

(And then, of course, I had to blog to you about it and that meant finding a photo, a category and some keywords to go with the post.)

– Jude

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What color is your heart?

Posted on August 7, 2011 by John Galt

http://www.understandingrace.org/humvar/index.html

 

Take the quiz first, then read the site. If you get the chance, c’mon back and post a comment. Did the site change your thinking?

BTW, I was intrigued by question 10. How do YOU self-identify and how do you think others categorize you?

I am a Caucasian living in a city that is 95%+ Black. I can tell you how it feels. I can point to the divot in my leg where a young Black man intentionally injured me for the fun of it. I have a stalker, also Black, who has done me harm and, if I were not moving to another state in the very near future, would do me harm again and again. (As a matter of fact, since moving, I’ve received 5 more ‘nasty-grams’ from him.)

For a long time I barely noticed skin color.

In my neighborhood trees are green, the sky is blue and, with myself as the exception, the people are all brown. I didn’t even notice my own color much.

But I’m noticing it now.

Do we give ourselves credit for being right-minded about race, but deny that credit to others (as a group)? When we say “Hey, I’m cool with it … but I know what “they” think of me.” do we really know what others think of us or are we projecting on them every bit as much as we are accusing “them” of doing to us?

Are we deluded into thinking that an arbitrary group of people necessarily thinks alike?

It’s worth some thought. Glass houses and all that.

– Jude

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