An Sionnach

Alright I have been thinking of putting together a small little resource site for parents, teachers, treatment counselors, and possibly law enforcement pertaining to information relating to gangs. But I need a good name. Any ideas? Maybe a combination of words to make another word. Like GRASP (Gang Rescue and Support Project (Already used)).

Here are some ideas to get you started.

DroppingTheFlag.com

Most of you know I don’t give in to political BS humanitarian/animal rights organizations like Greenpeace, but I have to admit a straight up video by Swiss Animal Protect really struck my gut, and it’s bullshit.

American Indians have always had a well know history of all life being sacred, although at the same time they knew the importance of skins, fur, and animal meat.  For ‘most’, they did this for survival and out of respect for all things living.  The same went for TRUE Traditional Judaic (Kosher) and Muslim (Halal) customs.   If life were to be taken it was done mercifully to the best of their ability, with thanks, and not without purpose.

This is done out of greed, and it saves money.  Just so you can get that nice faux fur at Walmart or some other money saving shop.  And trust me when I say, China is not the only ones doing this, we along with other countries have our issues.  But think about it folks, for years we fought against Communism (not Socialism, but Communism), yet a majority of the products we purchase today come from Communist countries, therefore supplying their governments with the funds to support… what… COMMUNISM and their military.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not against the Chinese people, as people, but come on people use your heads.  You donate money to help those in Haiti, yet we deal with all the other stupidity in the world and in our country.  Then again, it doesn’t matter, it’s not in my backyard.  That’s right, just sweep it under the carpet.  Makes me ashamed, not only because of us humans as a whole, but because I contribute in one way or another to this bullshit as well.

The fact is, many of us will care about this, or something, for a moment, but within a day, if not a minute later, most will care less.

Stupid people do nothing to change the world
Cowards temporarily might do something, then run off and do their own thing and forget about doing anything.
Good people help in any way they are capable.
Real Men and Women actually attempt make a change by “doing something”.

This implies for all things!

What are you?

I can’t think of how many messages I have received through email, twitter, facebook, tv, etc for helping out in Haiti by sending money. STOP!!! I will not send money!!

Many of you that know me are probably looking at me in shock, wondering… WHAT? Then again those who actually REALLY know me fully understand.

You read correct, I will NOT send money, but what I will offer once again is myself. Those that know me, know me well enough that I am the type of person that does not give money, but is a doer when the shit hits the fan. Be it run into a burning building, drive an injured teen down a mountain during a snowstorm, help out at a plane crash, or the current things I do now… the list goes on, and on. I am far more the type a person who would have gone into “The Cove”, than donate money to have it filmed. But I can’t think of how many times people come to me asking for money to help, yet refuse my offers to give myself to many things fly to Lebanon to help with food, work at Ground Zero the day after the towers went down, help rescue people directly after Katrina to be turned away to listen to this “desperate” need for people to help, yet they refuse to accept it when it’s offered them, yet people of political clout, the rich seem to manage their way in, and in the end use it to later to their own means (or so it seems).

So here I am again, offering myself to come down to Haiti and help. If you think about it, it would take less than 24 hours to get someone down there and into the mix and possibly help save 1 persons, if not many peoples lives. It’s up to you folks, but don’t ask me for help if you won’t take it.

William Kamkwamba’s parents couldn’t afford the $80 yearly tuition for their son’s school. The boy sneaked into the classroom anyway, dodging administrators for a few weeks until they caught him. Still emaciated from the recent deadly famine that had killed friends and neighbors, he went back to work on his family’s corn and tobacco farm in rural Malawi, Africa.

African Dynamo | GOOD.

I just finished reading an interesting article that was in last months Wired magazine. It basically went into the idea that most people would be willing to give larger amounts to assist one person over larger groups of people.  According to psychologists they believe this is hard wired into most of our brains.  For example you land on two separate sites asking for your help.  One site allows you to assist one person, the donation you send specifically goes to assist that one person with food, education, clothing, transportation, etc.  The second site allows you to make a donation to assist a campaign to provide build a school, feed thousands, etc.  While it would be great to think that we could help all these people, deep inside we know that we can not help all those people, and so we give a little less.  In the first example we see that we can directly affect one person, it becomes personal.  We know there is one life that can be save.  One life we can make a difference in, who hopefully can make a difference in other peoples lives.  Let me use a story to explain the point.

A man was walking along a beach one day, and sees a woman tossing starfish back into the ocean.  He notices that the tide has brought thousands upon thousands of starfish up onto the shore.  He knows that for as long as they sit there they will probably die due to sun.  So he asks the woman, “what is it your doing”.  She replies, “tossing starfish back into the ocean so they can live.”  “But there are so many of them, how can you possibly save them all?”.  She smiles and replies, “I can’t, but I can save this one”,  as she proceeds to toss another one in.

This also reminds me of when I took a trip to Honduras to help do some work for a small impoverished  village located in the mountains.  I remember getting there and seeing how many broken down homes there were. Everyone using what they could find in order to keep their homes in repair, and keep their families safe.  I looked at it all, and thought to myself.  There is so much work to be done here.  If I maintained that outlook I would have been overwhelmed by the shear numbers of people who needed help.  But each day we picked 1 home to work on.  One house we placed a cement floor so they would no longer have to live in the mud. 2 other homes we built or rebuilt the roof.  With each project we increased the quality of living for that person or family.  They no longer needed to worry about keeping dry, or sleeping in the mud, and could now focus on other things, including that of helping others in the village.

So when we look at the world, and think to ourselves how could I possibly help any of these people.  You can’t as long as you focus on the large numbers of people that need help.  But you can make a huge impact in one persons life.  And when you think of the amount of people just here in the US, think about how many people that can affect.

At the end of the month of Ramadan, Muslims are required to give 2.5% of their worth to help the needy.  Thats 2.5%, think about how much you give the government in taxes, or to purchase CD’s, movies, another widescreen TV, or 500 channels of cable TV/internet and phone service.  How much of that do you really use, or need?  Do you really need it.  And if you don’t have money, how about your time.  How much of you time is spent in front of the computer, TV, on the phone, playing games, working, or just doing nothing.  2.5% is about 4 hours of your time.  Think of the impact you could make by just donating a little bit of that time to helping someone else.

The first week of Ramadan focuses on the Mercy of God.  It is a time of reflection, where we examine our lives and focus on the great mercy that God bestows upon us.  Let us all give a little bit of ourselves and be a mercy to one person.