Free Republic

sodpoodle, United Way did it in the 90’s as well. I was part of a large Central California poultry producer and did my usual due diligence when the forms came around. When I saw United Way’s horrible management fees, I refused. My supervisor tried to coerce me with, “C’mon, it’s only $2 a month and everyone else is doing it.” When that brilliant reasoning failed to induce me, he tried “Okay, just do it and I’ll give you the $24 every year so you don’t actually lose anything.” I told him about the results of my research, the fact that I donated to three other charities with much better track records, and the principal of the matter of supporting such a bad charity. I thought we were done.

Imagine my surprise when my next check stub included a $2 deduction marked “United Way” and I found out from Human Resources that my supervisor was getting a 100% participation award. I asked to get a copy of my participation form. With that in hand, I then turned the supervisor in for forgery and fraud, called the local police department and reported the theft, and called the local newspaper and told them what the United Way was causing to happen in our company. I turned more than one company upside down and our company never did payroll deductions for anything charitable ever again.

United Way is a cancer. Do NOT let this happen to you or your company - that stupid plaque is not worth the president’s salary and chauffeured car.

doorgunner,

Does “MB” stand for “Motorbike”? If it does, do you check the license plate itself? My state issues Motorcycle handicapped plates with a little blue wheelchair on the plate! :-D

TSgt,

Point #1, It’s not a sob story, it’s a desire for you to experience what you do not understand; to walk a mile in someone else’s shoes, so to speak.

Point #2, Your little story is completely irrelevant. A completely healthy person that is equipped with prostheses has a very good chance of recovery and return to full activity. That is not relevant to the discussion of people that live in constant pain and agony due to a medical condition yet do not need prostheses or ambulatory hardware. Mr. Luckett could not have made it into the military with any of the conditions to which I am referring, which you would have known had you referenced the web site, www.butyoudontlooksick.com. It’s okay, though, I understand your fear of doing so.

Congratulations to Mr. Luckett on his success, but his story is completely irrelevant to our discussion here due to his perfect health (other than the missing leg), as evidenced by his continued military career. If he had any of the painful conditions to which I refer, he would have been discharged already.

People that have never been subjected to chronic pain are unaware what levels it can reach and the affects it can have on people. Pain alone is capable of killing a person, absent any injury, which is why pain management is a critical specialty. It’s great that there are tough guys out there that can “feel no pain”, but even those individuals should be capable of compassion for those that are overtaken by it.

TSgt, may you experience in your life terminal pain which makes walking fully possible, but painful at every step; or a condition which taxes your energy every hour so that every step takes something away from you. Your doctors will not put you in a wheelchair because walking is “Good for your condition” but you will have to decide every day whether leaving the house, or even your bed, is worth the myriad of drugs you must take to even be able to run the errands you wish to attempt. Then I hope your words will come back to you:

“Most don’t need them and many are just fat and lazy.

The symbol is of someone in a wheelchair, if you don’t need one you shouldn’t be parking there.”

If you want to educate yourself before making such a statement in the future, spend 10 minutes at www.butyoudontlooksick.com and then form an opinion.