Friday, August 26, 2005
The reason people donate their time and hard earned money to not-for-profit organizations like the American Red Cross, is to save lives and to help people endure disastrous situations. It seems that the Red Cross, however, has lost sight of its core objective and become deeply entangled with various social and political issues that in no way relate to the organization’s cause or concept.
Earlier this month, a man living in California was fired from the American Red Cross for choosing not to recognize Gay Pride Month. He and his co-workers were sent out a mass e-mail informing them that the upcoming month was Gay Pride Month. The e-mail asked employees to please observe and embrace this occasion. Offended, he complained to his supervisor, stating that the way of life of the homosexual community was against his religion as a Christian and that he would abstain from participating. His objection, in the form of a brief and formal e-mail, was overtly disregarded by his supervisor. Unsatisfied with the lack of results or even a courtesy response, he pursued the matter further by e-mailing the national headquarters. He was immediately put on “administrative leave” by his superiors, and shortly thereafter fired. This man worked at the ARC for eight months before being fired and was not involved in any additional incidents.
This comes down to a breech of civil rights. How is it ethical for an organization that boldly boasts of its “humanitarian mission” to take away the job of a man who was simply exercising those civil rights? Shame on the American Red Cross for losing track of what its crucial function is and for veering off the path of dedicating itself to saving the lives of human beings.
Falling prey to the ever-changing world of what is socially and politically correct will only cloud the ARC and, in due course, will ultimately control and prevent it from doing as much good as it possibly could. “Diversity,” as the Red Cross calls it, is mentioned within its main Web site several times in careful detail and structure. This should not be on the top of this organization’s priority list. I personally have no preference for one over the other when it comes to the homosexual community and the Christian community, and the intention of my argument is not the validation of one over the other.
It is simply this: in order to help save the lives of people in need, one does not and should not have to embrace or even disclose any information or action concerning one’s personal beliefs; especially on something so unconnected as sexual orientation.
If this is considered an acceptable reason for firing an individual, where does it end; where do you draw the line? More importantly, why is this supposed, world-renowned organization more concerned with social and political controversy than it is with building an institution that reaches the people in the world who need their help? The bottom line is, it is the help of the American Red Cross that this world needs and not their judgments.
Logue is an Overland Park senior in journalism.
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