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Seeing Red in SoCal: FReepers Take On The [American?] Red Crass (Pics inside!)
3/10/02

Posted on 03/10/2002 1:27:09 PM PST by AnnaZ

Fed up FReepers got together on a flawless (sunny, breezy, warm) SoCal day (as planned: Kids' chance to sing dissolves in discord MY TITLE: Red Cross Double Cross) to let The (American?) Red Crass know how some of us feel about their exclusionary philosophy.
 
(Which, in case you just got out of your Y2K bunker, can be explained even further by following these links):
**UPDATE** Red Cross BANS Declaration of Independence and God Bless the USA
Red Cross nixes 'God' from 9-11 program [also Call for Boycott]
News Release: American Red Cross Statement Regarding Orange County High School Music Program

 
FReepers BadJoe and WillaJohns provided signs and refreshments and FReeper seenenuf gave up five years of lurking to finally sign up, log on and join us.
 
We were photographed and interviewed by the Orange County Register, and received pretty decent support from people entering the Hyatt parking lot. (Okay, and one guy who yelled at us to "get a G*dd@#^ life.)
 
As a bonus, when we were leaving, we met a man approaching with his own sign, a man who had called around and found out on his own where these people could be protested. A FReeper in the making! Love the self-motivation.
 



TOPICS: Activism/Chapters; Free Republic; US: California
KEYWORDS: bloodhounds; christianpersecutio; infinitefreep; patriotlist; redcrossfreep
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To: AnnaZ; BadJoe; WillaJohns; diotima
Sorry we missed it. NRA_Lifer_RC and I were right up the street at the Crossroads of the West Gun Show at Edison Field. Helped the Liberty Belles set up their booth and did a couple of sales pitches for Burro Canyon.
81 posted on 03/10/2002 8:21:19 PM PST by gc4nra
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To: AnnaZ
Fantastic FReep!! You guys did great!! And welcome Seenenuf!!
82 posted on 03/10/2002 8:30:59 PM PST by bjcintennessee
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To: Faraday
I just heard the story about the Red Cross banning the children on CBS (?) national radio news on WISN in Milwaukee.

This is great news. Seems the Red Cross's scram may be being uncovered bit by bit. Thanks for reporting this.

83 posted on 03/10/2002 10:19:27 PM PST by WillaJohns
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To: AnnaZ
Here's the only mention we got from the Orange County Register's online edition:

Red Cross decision provokes debate
O.C. High School of the Arts had pulled out of awards program.

March 11, 2002

By MARY ANN MILBOURN and RACHANEE SRISAVASDI
The Orange County Register

IRVINE -- The show went on - sort of - at the Red Cross volunteers luncheon Sunday as the group made do with an audience sing-along of the national anthem after the student vocal group scheduled to perform bowed out.

The group from the Orange County High School of the Arts canceled its performance after the Red Cross objected to its musical selection, which included "God Bless the U.S.A." and other songs that included references to religion.

On Friday, the school's executive director, Ralph Opacic, said he respected the Red Cross' preference for nonreligious lyrics to keep its program more inclusive.

He had arranged to have a different group sing, but he decided not to send any performers from the school after speaking with Cherilyn Bacon, the instructor who had canceled her troupe's appearance last week.

"Although we respect the Red Cross' right to determine the program, (the school) stands behind the decision not to compromise the inspirational and patriotic lyrics of these songs," Opacic said in a statement.

Bacon said she was happy the school supported her decision. The troupe will continue to perform its medley at community events, she said.

Little mention of the controversy was made at the Red Cross luncheon. Dolores Churchill, a Red Cross Orange County chapter board member, only alluded to it in her opening comments.

"It's a peculiar time we are in when one day we are heaped with praise and the next day criticized," Churchill said. "Such is life."

While most people at the event had little to say about the cancellation, several said they were upset by the decision and by suggestions that the students could sing if they changed the lyrics.

Mike Tooman, 59, of Anaheim, a longtime volunteer, said he had mixed feelings about the decision: "When we sign up (as volunteers), we agree to be neutral, so I understand why they are doing what they are doing," he said. "But God bless America."

Four protesters unaffiliated with the Red Cross or Bacon held up signs outside the hotel where the event was held.

"We think it's unfair that kids who proposed to sing a song about America that had 'God' in it are not allowed to sing," said Judy Busch, 60, of Capistrano Beach.

"Peace panels" sewn by high school Red Cross members were on display at the luncheon. They included the phrases "God Bless America" and "One Nation Under God."

84 posted on 03/11/2002 6:33:57 AM PST by WillaJohns
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To: WillaJohns; BADJOE; AnnaZ
Thanks for the article, Willa. Great job FReeping!
85 posted on 03/11/2002 6:43:21 AM PST by Fred Mertz
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To: AnnaZ
Thank you.
86 posted on 03/11/2002 6:46:18 AM PST by stevio
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To: WillaJohns
The show went on - sort of - at the Red Cross volunteers luncheon Sunday as the group made do with an audience sing-along of the national anthem after the student vocal group scheduled to perform bowed out.

My mother is a nurse who was one of the volunteers honored at yesterday's event. In a phone conversation after the luncheon, she mentioned that the singing portion had simply been skipped; there were no replacement students or anything (even though it remained on the printed program, there being no time to reprint the program). They did have everyone sing the national anthem (but there was no Pledge of Allegiance).

My mother also relayed the Red Cross' line on the issue: this was a manufactured controversy by conductor Cherilyn Bacon, who has political ambitions (she is or may be running for some office?) and who wanted to create an incident to get publicity. She did so by going to Fox News, which is well-known as being anti-Red Cross.

87 posted on 03/11/2002 10:16:40 AM PST by dpwiener
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To: Saundra Duffy
ping
88 posted on 03/11/2002 10:50:06 AM PST by rface
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To: WillaJohns
thanks for this update.
89 posted on 03/11/2002 10:52:35 AM PST by rface
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To: AnnaZ
Dr. Laura picks up this story as her first issue today.

Ashland, Missouri

90 posted on 03/11/2002 11:10:57 AM PST by rface
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To: AnnaZ
Bumping an excellent FReep!
91 posted on 03/11/2002 11:14:14 AM PST by ELS
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To: AnnaZ
Thank You AnnaZ!!
92 posted on 03/11/2002 11:20:42 AM PST by RaceBannon
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To: A Navy Vet; diotima; Bob J; doug from upland
This protest came up too fast to really organize, I think. More people would've been cool, but better than none.
 
May we be FReeping something (anything) all together, soon. There's rarely, especially here in KA, a shortage of provocation.
 
;^)

93 posted on 03/11/2002 11:27:08 AM PST by AnnaZ
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To: RaceBannon
Thanks for the BUMP, babe. Very little beats FReeping!

94 posted on 03/11/2002 11:28:35 AM PST by AnnaZ
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To: rface
Excellent! (I love it when the grassroots push the bubble to the surface.)

95 posted on 03/11/2002 1:13:52 PM PST by AnnaZ
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To: rwfromkansas
But anyway, it was not a very positive piece.

Man, who to believe: An organization that we know lies for political purposes (60 Minutes) or an organization that we know lies for political purposes (American Red Cross).

96 posted on 03/11/2002 2:37:26 PM PST by Timesink
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To: BADJOE, willajohns
Are you guys planning to do this next weekend? If so let me know so we can start organizing a Freep.
97 posted on 03/11/2002 2:53:16 PM PST by oc-flyfish
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To: AnnaZ
Thank you, patriots! You done us proud. I am so grateful that you took the time and effort to FReep those creeps. Yahoo! For victory & freedom!!!
98 posted on 03/11/2002 3:10:52 PM PST by Saundra Duffy
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To: AnnaZ
For those of you who want to protest the Red Cross's actions click hereFreeper jrewingjr came up with this great idea.  Ping all your friends and chapter members.
99 posted on 03/11/2002 3:49:15 PM PST by oc-flyfish
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To: AnnaZ; WillaJohns; BadJoe; seenenuf
Thanks for your protesting efforts. You guys looked great!
I hope you piqued the interest of many drivers to ask questions and discover the real story of the Red Cross.
100 posted on 03/11/2002 6:24:29 PM PST by heleny
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