Remembering

Today as I look at the state the world is in and the evolving of technology I think back to World War 2 and remember a family member who was wounded in France and ended up in a hospital in England with nothing but a hospital gown to his name. Along came the Red Cross and he asked if he could have a piece of paper, pencil envelope and a stamp to write his parents and tell them he was alive. They said he could have them but he would have to pay for them! This has been embedded in my brain since then and all the wonderful things said about the Red Cross now, turn me off completely.
Sure the world has changed and in this day and age his parents would have been notified immediately but what does it say about the Red Cross? To me it says they got where they are today on the backs of people like my family member and the thousands of others like him. Maybe they have changed.....I don't know but any donation to a charitable organization, by me will not go to them.
Time has shown that as generous as people are and think they are helping others will find food rotting on docks , administation costs of all the paper work rising, delivery delays and places no one can reach while others get paid to try and figure out what to do with all the money in their control. We never seem to hear about those we thought we helped or if it ever got to its "supposed" destination. Sure we get a tax write off and we feel good about thinking we helped but I question if it really did.
My heart bleeds for those unfortunate people in Japan and Libya who have to face these horrible but different circumstances. I applaud those who really are trying to help....not through donations to charities but who are there "boots on the ground" helping each other on a one to one basis.The rescue teams, police, firemen and so on , who risk their own lives to help their fellow country men/women. Even the cadaver dogs who tirelessly root through the rubble of former homes and businesses, hoping to find someone still alive. And for the Libyians who only want the right to speak their minds (like I am doing) and live like human beings. While typing this, which is "my speak" I am totally annoyed with the UN council. Why did they take so long to get this resolution passed. Can you just imagiine the number of innocent people who have perished because of their inability to come up with a decision? They knew what Gadafi was capable of and had been doing......Is our UN full of people who condone these actions? What does this tell us about future disasters like this....will they hum and haw til the world falls apart?I would say that its time they did some "house cleaning" there. They were, in my opinion put there to solve the worlds woes and discontent and not try to out-do each other, by wasting time doing it.
So I will sit here and hope that the Japanese can revive without further complications and the Libyians can march triumphant into Tripoli and we can come together as one world nation at peace with each other.