The American Cancer Society - Charitable Dollars Well Spent

We all have those pleas bombarding us to support charitable efforts.  there are so many it is often difficult to decide just where to send contributions.  Though most non-profit organizations serve the public well, I am making a special case today for The American Cancer Society.

It would be difficult to find any individual who has not been touched in some way by cancer.  Those who are not victims of this dreaded disease have family members or close friends who have suffered or died because of cancer.  With that as an intro I encourage you to place The American Cancer Society high on your list of preferred charities.

Unlike many organizations who operate though the gifts of business and the public, the ACS is quite frugal with your funds.  Only about 2% of each gift dollar is channeled into management and administrative expenses.  This is a far cry from some of the more publicized charities where almost a third of contributions are exhausted in paying salaries and office related costs.

The American Cancer Society utilizes the largest percentage of its budget, a whopping 34%, in national research, medical grants, fellowships and services including public education.  The next 28% of that charitable dollar is spent on prevention, early detection, and treatment of cancer. Patient services and survivorship take up 17% of the budget.  Here the society provides funding to help cancer patients and their families with education and support programs, transportation to treatment centers, medical equipment and prosthetics.  It also conducts visitations and offers childhood cancer scholarships.

All of this adds up to 81% of the ACS dollar expenditures.  With the remaining 19% of that gift dollar the organization promotes its fund raising efforts.  That too, is quite a low figure by non-profit standards.

Someone Needs To Start Teaching What It Means To Support The Troops

I often feel that too much water has passed under the bridge for me to understand America of today.  Having spent my youth and middle age in uniform, I have always been associated with those who placed God, duty, honor and country first and foremost in their lives.

Today we are fighting a war that could last for the remainder of my years on planet Earth and perhaps through every day of my grand children’s existance.  It will eventually impact every aspect of life in this country.  Yet, I look around today and see little involvement, less concern and even denial of hard facts, as people rush through their routines of work, play and the accumilation of possessions.  If they are not serving in the armed forces, retired military, concerned veterans or the families of those engaged in action against the enemy, scant attention is paid to anything related to The War on Terror.

More Afghan News You Never Read

American military medics and their Afghan counterparts moved into Khowst province to care for villagers. Between October 24 and 27 the teams treated 1,328 men, 1,022 women, 4,245 children and 577 animals.  They de-wormed those in need, including both people and animals.  The teams handed out ant-inflammatory medication and administered antibiotics. 

Classes were held to show proper hand-washing procedures, food handling and water sanitation. Malaria information was provided.  In addition, food and clothing were distributed.

The veterinarians on the teams took blood samples from cattle, goats and sheep to test for brucellosis, a bacterial disease in livestock.  There have been no tests for this disease administered in Afghanistan for the past 25 years

A Rant On Veteran Concerns

Our government has again targeted the veteran for a budget hit.  The projected budget for veterans’ health care during 2006 is being targeted for more cuts.  At this time there are a number of bills in Congress which would bring up to 5% in reductions for all government agencies.  The rationale is this will help pay for the relief costs associated with recent hurricanes.

Though most people agree with the idea of cutting federal spending, it can still be argued that those cuts would be more palatable, if they came our of Congressional Pork instead of from those seriously in need such as the nation’s veterans.  These are people who served the country with honor and deserve the care of a grateful nation, not another restriction on the health services they will be able to receive.

One View of Our Media Death Watch

Harlingen, Texas October 27, 2005: The excitement and anticipation radiating from the main stream media, as American deaths in Iraq inched toward the 2,000 mark has been more than evident.  It has also been a time of struggle for those of us who deeply mourn the loss of these heroic young men and women.  Now, in addition to the pain and suffering we truly understand, the American public must also endure the pre-planned platitudes of a press strongly opposed to this combat action.

Headlines and editorials condemning the war or calling for withdrawal of our troops have been everywhere. News and editorial leads have all sounded the theme of Washington’s wrong doing.  For example, Bob Herbert’s column in the October 27 New York Times reads, “Thousands upon thousands are suffering and dying in Iraq while, in Washington, incompetence continues its macabre marathon dance with incoherence.”

Our national press corps argues that more than 2,000 deaths in two years of combat is far too high a price to pay in American lives.  Since this is a war of “incompetence” and “incoherence”, nothing of value has been accomplished and we should turn our backs on Iraq and the mid east.

It seems those who pour ink onto today’s news pages have forgotten their world history.

For example, between December 16, 1944 and January 25, 1945 the United States sacrificed 19,000 men to guns of Nazi Germany in a single engagement.  Another 23,554 soldiers were captured. It was called the “Battle of the Bulge.” Using the logic of today’s media, we should have surrendered the war to our Nazi enemy on the spot.

During World War II there were 9,512 Merchant Marines who gave up their lives to assure American troops were supplied and moved into battle.  By today’s press standards those were wasted lives and all shipping should have ceased.

From April 1 until September 7, 1945 a total of 12,000 Americans died and 38,000 were wounded in the battle for Okinawa.  People like Bob Herbert would call that Washington bumbling...a battle that should never have been fought.

At Antietam on September 17, 1862 we learn that in a single battle more than 3,500 young men from both the Blue and Grey Armies lay dead on the soil of their own country.  Many in the press of that day thought all of the civilian leadership was lacking competence.  Still the fight continued and in the end it was the glue of American blood that held the Union together.

All wars stress a nation.  The losses, be they a single life or thousands, can never be taken lightly.  But, to use death numbers as a media target for speaking out in opposition and defeatism is unconscionable.  We all deserve better from those chosen to be our public voice.