tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29164133950063589062024-02-08T05:38:43.475-08:00Race: America's ProblemI hope that my book, Growing Up White In America: Experiences With Race, will begin a new dialogue, especially among people who have failed to dredge up and examine their beliefs about this critical issue.Bem Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08437716238039309490noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2916413395006358906.post-83368578598953499102008-05-30T11:42:00.000-07:002009-04-07T12:17:33.800-07:00What are your experiences with Race?What are your experiences with race? Regardless of your race, your honestly and anonymously reported experiences involving race can help in understanding how people conceive of race. You may comment from this page, or email me at mfbpa@wiu.edu<br /> <br />I look forward to hearing from you.Bem Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08437716238039309490noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2916413395006358906.post-12715334782013305292008-05-08T14:38:00.000-07:002010-08-27T08:51:15.101-07:00Best Charities were picked based on two criteria. First, most of your money is used to support the Cause rather than for “Administrative Costs”. Second, listed charities are almost all rated A+, A, & A- with a few at B+. See web addresses at end of this blog entry. *Indicates Favorable Personal Experience; **Indicates a Special Comment. ALL CHARITY SITES CAN BE FOUND BY GOOGLING FUND NAMES.<br /><br />ABORTION AND FAMILY PLANNING<br />International Planned Parenthood*<br />National Right to Life Educational Trust Fund<br /><br />AFRICAN AMERICAN<br />Africa-America Institute<br />NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund*<br />UNCF/The College Fund*<br /><br />AIDS<br />AIDS Research Alliance<br /><br />AMERICAN INDIAN<br />American Indian College Fund<br />Running Strong for American Indian Youth* **Did not receive a high rating. This category’s entries received few high ratings.<br /><br />ANIMAL PROTECTION<br />Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International<br /><br />ASIAN AND ASIAN AMERICAN<br />Asia Foundation<br />Asia-American Legal Defense and Education Fund<br /><br />BLIND AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED<br />Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind<br />Helen Keller International/Childsight<br /><br />CANCER<br />Breast Cancer Foundation<br />Cancer Research Institute<br /><br />CHILD PROTECTION<br />Children’s Defense Fund<br /><br />CHILD SPONSORSHIP<br />Christian Children’s Fund*<br />Plan USA*<br />Save the Children* **Featured on American Idol; one of the best.<br />World Vision*<br /><br />CIVIL RIGHTS AND ADVOCACY<br />Center for Constitutional Rights<br />Amnesty International USA* **Not listed<br />Human Rights Watch* **Not Listed<br /><br />DISABLED<br />Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation<br />Salvation Army (Eastern, Central, Southern * Western Territories)*<br /><br />ENVIRONMENT<br />Conservation Fund<br />Greenpeace Fund, Inc.*<br />Rainforest Alliance<br />Sierra Club Foundation*<br /><br />GAY LESBIAN<br />PFLAG Parents and Friends of Lesbians & Gays (FFLAG is the international version).* A couple of others have been recommended to me by a trustworthy source: Triangle Foundation and National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. **There is no category for gay and lesbian people at the site-address below. <br /><br />HEALTH, GENERAL<br />American Brain Tumor Association <br />Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation<br />Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research<br /><br />HISPANIC<br />Hispanic Scholarship Fund<br /><br />HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING<br />Habitat for Humanity International – N.O.*<br />National Alliance to End Homelessness<br /><br />HUMAN RIGHTS<br />Center for Victims of Torture*<br />Human Rights First<br />Human Rights Watch *Not listed<br />Amnesty International* **Not listed<br /><br />HUMAN SERVICES<br />American Red Cross* <br />Farm Aid*<br />YMCA of the United States – N. O.<br /><br />HUNGER<br />Freedom from Hunger<br />Global Hunger Project<br /><br />INTERNATIONAL RELIEF AND DEVELOPMENT<br />Care*<br />Catholic Relief Services<br />Doctors of the World<br />Doctors Without Borders*<br />Oxfam-America*<br /><br />JEWISH AND ISRAEL<br />Mazon: A Jewish Response to Hunger<br /><br />LITERACY<br />Reading is Fundamental<br /><br />MENTAL HEALTH AND RETARDATION<br />Mental Health America<br />National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression<br /><br />PEACE AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS<br />Union of Concerned Scientists*<br /><br />POPULATION PLANNING<br />Population Council<br /><br />PUBLIC POLICY<br />Common Cause Education Fund*<br /><br />VETERANS AND MILITARY<br />Fisher House Foundation<br />Army Relief Emergency<br />Disabled American Veterans Charitable Service Trust<br />Homes for our Troops<br />Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund<br />This category has many poorly run charities. The ones listed here all have four star ratings.<br /><br />WOMEN’S RIGHTS <br />Global Fund for Women*<br /><br />YOUTH DEVELOPMENT<br />Big Brothers and Sisters of American – N. O. <br /><br />YOUTH RESIDENTIAL<br />Cedars Home for Children Foundation<br /><br />http://www.charitywatch.org supplied most of the information for the above. http://www.charitynavigator.org supplied some others and is an outstanding site.Bem Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08437716238039309490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2916413395006358906.post-1056028458346486992008-01-02T12:34:00.000-08:002008-01-17T12:19:42.085-08:00Right to Life? Whose life?With the world population now between 6 and 7 billion and sure to reach 8 billion within a generation, I'm worried about in the order of 1 billion young human beings who are likely to live short and miserable lives. According to a probably conservative estimate, the number of children dying per day world-wide is between 27,000 and 30,000. That is 20 children dying every minute, 10-11 million children dying per year, and 50 million dead between 2000 and 2005. I'm betting that the Right to Life movement is doing something to save this huge group of newborns, babies, children, and teens, but what are they doing?Bem Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08437716238039309490noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2916413395006358906.post-22081581837160179892007-11-30T12:38:00.000-08:002007-11-30T12:55:34.864-08:00Can wannabes actually be what they want to be?Could Germans who are fascinated with American Indian culture, and even speak a tribal language, ever actually be Indians? A quick answer may be a faulty one. How about white kids trying to be black? Is their desire "to be black" superficial and facilitated by the knowledge that they can retreat to being white at the slightest discomfort? I once heard a white Nun speak who had devoted her entire adult life to helping black kids. She was clearly identified with those kids and seemed in sync with black culture. Is it likely that she was accepted as part of the black community? Do people in culturally/racially mixed marriages fully partake of each other's culture? These are tough questions with no easy answers. What do you think? Pro and con examples would be welcomed.Bem Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08437716238039309490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2916413395006358906.post-18469479031524757652007-11-27T16:58:00.000-08:002007-11-27T17:01:19.792-08:00Reparations for African Americans because of slavery?There is a rationale for granting African Americans reparations because of slavery. There are also some precedents.Bem Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08437716238039309490noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2916413395006358906.post-79631407710752021422007-11-04T09:12:00.000-08:002007-11-25T14:28:38.513-08:00Let's ban booze at college student functions.Binge drinking is too often behind rape and assault on college campuses. Is there a way to sell students on responsible drinking, or must booze be banned from college student functions?Bem Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08437716238039309490noreply@blogger.com5