Minimus,
I’m glad you asked this question, even though I have a feeling it is not really a question so much as it is a criticism. But that’s OK too.
I really can’t answer for AJWRB before I took it over last year. The goals of AJWRB have changed. I actually don’t know what the whole point of the organization was before I joined it. There was a minimal amount of activism as far as I can tell. Lot’s of informational activism. But as far as actually hitting the pavement, I don’t know how much of that was done.
Right now, I can tell you that the goal of AJWRB is NOT to change anybody’s religion or beliefs. The present goal is plainly printed in large letters as soon as you log onto the site: SAVING LIVES. That’s it. I really don’t care about anything else.
How to best save lives, is something you could help us with. Have you, for instance, completed AJWRB ACTION NUMBWER 1? Do you know what that is? If you are worried about the effectiveness and success of AJWRB, the best thing you could do is to JOIN US.
Join the forum. You must email me at [email protected] to join the forum, or email me at [email protected], or call me at 562-257-7525. Once you do that, you can also, since I see you write quite a lot, 36,000 posts, maybe you can write us some material or do some research and I’ll post it on the site.
Action number 1, is basically to donate blood, record the event, and mail in the “You’re Welcome Watchtower Card” that you can download from the site. Download the brochure and the card is on the back of the brochure.
Calls from doctors are trickling in. I have received two calls from doctors in distress the last two weeks or so. I have given my recommendations, and am still waiting on news whether the JW was actually saved. That is my main goal. I feel our procedures for talking with JWs will isolate the “weak JWs” and get them to take a transfusion. I also recommended to the doctors to first try and get them to accept a blood fraction product, give them their transfusion bracelet and then point out that they have already received a blood transfusion, and that the doctor just wants them to accept this one more small blood fraction, red blood cells usually.
In one case, a JW life was saved as a direct result of my suggestions to a doctor. Therefore, I consider what I am doing a success based on just ONE life being saved. It is all worth it now.
As to whether this site can change the religious beliefs of JWs, well, it HAS done so, as many have already attested to, and then of course, there is myself who was also helped out of the organization as a result of doing research on blood and coming across the site, but that is not what I am concerned about. How many people have YOU personally helped out of the JW religion? Have YOU personally been responsible for the Watchtower changing a major doctrine? I don’t know if ANY one person or organization can make that claim.
So, if you want AJWRB to be a success, then simply put your money where your mouth is and join us. Job done. Then YOU will have to answer that question and take responsibility for its success or failure. In the meantime, I have only a handful of people doing regular work for the cause. We could use more. Hundreds more. Thousands more. Once we have a decent couple of dozen people doing activism, holding blood donation events, then we can start meeting and looking at our results and methods as to whether they are working or not. But we are a long way from that. Mostly we need people with good ideas, and people who have time to volunteer. People who want to go out and hold face time with medical professionals.
Have you spoken to your doctor about AJWRB? Have you distributed brochures? Also, I have four pages in the Free Minds Journal, the last three issues or so, and this four page insert may be used and distributed. To get ahold of them you will need to subscribe to the physical copies of the Free Minds Journal which costs 10 dollars a year, or something like that.
So, join us and help us be successful is all I can say if you are concerned about what we have accomplished. AJWRB has a new direction now than it has had in the previous decade or so. But it still is largely an informational site. Though now I am pushing the activism of the site, and you know what it is like asking ex JWs to get out of their homes and volunteer. Like herding cats as some have said. Until I get more people on board, I am only one person so don’t expect miracles. I am not magic.
But I do believe in the cause. It is worthy of our dedication. I wish more people felt the way I feel about it. It is the one way we can really say I love You to our old family and friends. Give them our blood! It is a beautiful gesture, and when many people see how beautiful it is they will not be able to hold themselves back form expressing their love in donating blood as activism. It is a totally new concept according to Dr. Fridey of the Red Cross. Nobody has ever come to the Red Cross with a group of people who want to donate blood AS ACTIVISM. It is a unique one of a kind idea, and ONLY YOU can make it a FAILURE.
Call me, email me join me. As Harvey Milk was famous for saying, “I am here to recruit you.”
Peace, Love and Zen
