BRITAIN: Red Cross Rejects Appeal Of Volunteer Sacked Over Marriage Protest

Back in November, British Red Cross officials sacked a longtime volunteer after he launched a one-man demonstration against same-sex marriage. According to the Red Cross, the actions of Bryan Barcklay violated their rules against political campaigning and last week they dismissed his appeal. Via the Christian site The Way:

Thousands protested against the dismissal of Mr Barkley, despite this, his appeal was rejected by the charity who have since added new grounds for dismissal. The British Red Cross have been accused of double standards as many other volunteers and supporters have taken to social media to express their views on political issues. Should they all be dismissed for their views? One has to question whether the Red Cross is selectively applying their policies for the sake of political correctness. The Red Cross has apologised for taking so long to deal with Mr Barkley’s case. They have labelled his actions as ‘political campaigning,’ calling the appeals ‘process exhausted’ which means he cannot challenge the matter any further. A decision many argue is unfair and leaves Mr Barkley with no way of clearing his name.

Breitbart London today called for its readers to end their support for the Red Cross.

Here is one aggression by the PC Terror where we all have the ability to respond robustly. Red Cross mendicants have already been driven from my door empty-handed. Nobody who believes in freedom should give one penny of cash or one minute of time to the Red Cross. There are huge numbers of charities to which support can be diverted. When governments destroy freedom, voters have to wait for an election to punish them – and even then only if there is a UKIP-style alternative to the PC consensus – but an organisation such as a charity can be made to feel the costs of public alienation immediately. We all know what we ought to do, don’t we?

Lady Gaga Gives $1M To Hurricane Relief

"Today I pledge 1 million dollars to New York & The American Red Cross for Hurricane Sandy Relief. If it wasn't for NYC: the Lower East Side, Harlem, the Bronx and Brooklyn, I would not be the woman or artist that I am today. New York is relentless ambition, a drive to succeed, a place where there is a natural pursuit of diversity through compassion. Please accept this gift on behalf of myself, my parents Joe and Cynthia, and my sister Natali; with our deepest gratitude New York for raising us. Thank you for helping me build my spirit. I will now help you rebuild yours. Sincerely, Lady Gaga and The Germanottas." - Lady Gaga, writing on her personal blog.

RELATED: Much of Gaga's donation will doubtlessly end up helping the people of Staten Island, NYC's most-damaged borough. You may recall that Staten Island's borough president, who has been on the news daily screaming for more aid, recently called Lady Gaga a "drug-using slut" who is corrupting the nation's youth. It will be interesting to see if he bothers to respond to Gaga's generosity.

Food Trucks Head For NYC [UPDATED]

Food relief is coming to Manhattan and other parts of NYC still without power.  Gothamist has the early details:

Red Cross Communications Officer Michael de Vulpillieres emails us to say that 35 emergency response vehicles "stocked with food, snacks, water and clean up supplies" are headed to the city, and will fan out to serve communities affected by Sandy. "We also are identifying sites for large mobile kitchens to be set up in the city where food will be prepared and distributed," Vulpillieres writes. According to State Senator Daniel Squadron's office, residents remaining in the Smith, Riis, and Baruch Houses will soon have running water from city-provided generators.

I'll update this post when we know where the distribution points will be.

UPDATE:  More news on food relief as we learn that the National Guard and FEMA are airlifting one million meals into the blackout zones.

"After days without powers, the most immediate need for many New Yorkers is food and water and the state is working aggressively to address this need." Cuomo said in the announcement. "The first plane into JFK this morning was from FEMA, carrying supplies and personnel we requested. New York state will continue to deploy all our resources in response to Hurricane Sandy and adjust to the needs and concerns of New Yorkers so that we can ensure a safe and speedy recovery."

According to the governor's office FEMA and the National Guard will work with the city and "major not-for-profit organizations" to establish points of distribution and set up staging stations throughout the most affected areas. "National Guardsman will assist with the delivery of approximately 30 tractor-trailers of the food and water, by going door-to-door to New Yorkers who have been without power and electricity since Hurricane Sandy hit the state. The National Guardsmen and FEMA officials will also check the wellness and needs of individuals in these areas to ensure that residents are safe."

Food and water will be distributed beginning today at these Manhattan locations: 10th Street between Avenues C and D, Catherine Street between Monroe and Cherry Streets (Smith Houses), Pitt and Houston Streets, Grand and Clinton Streets (water only), Bowery and Division Street (Confucius Plaza).

Tweet Of The Day - American Red Cross

An American Red Cross employee accidentally tweeted from the official account. Oops? No, not really, the mistaken tweet resulted in an avalanche of blood donation pledges. And for their part, Dogfish Beer staffers joined in.

Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) - Let Gay Men Donate Blood

Sen. John Kerry and numerous fellow Senators today called for lifting the ban on gay men donating blood.

"Not a single piece of scientific evidence supports the ban,” Kerry said. “A law that was once considered medically justified is today simply outdated and needs to end." Kerry was one of 18 U.S. Senators -- 17 Democrats and one independent -- who in a letter on Thursday asked the Food and Drug Administration to lift the ban on gay men donating blood. The ban was put in place in 1983, at the height of the HIV/AIDS crisis and before modern screening and advanced testing methods for HIV were developed. Experts say current screening and testing have reduced the risk of tainted blood entering the blood supply undetected to virtually zero. The American Red Cross, America's Blood Centers and AABB all support repealing the ban, saying the law is “medically and scientifically unwarranted.” The American Medical Association also supports modifying the ban.

Obama's First Tweet

It was done on the Red Cross account, so he had to write about himself in the third person.