There's a fine line between asking for charity and demanding it. Between emotional blackmail and outright extortion. And, sadly, because one father didn't see that line, a baby is suffering.
Grief and terror make us do strange things. In this case, a father terrified of losing his newborn son crossed ethical boundaries, and was slapped down. I don't blame Microsoft for taking down his web page, and I have trouble mustering too much outrage at the guy whose complaint led to that action. I think he should have just quietly ignored the plea instead of writing a refusal, but Mr. Guglielmo's assembling and publishing a list of "non-supporters" -- complete with personal information on how to contact those who had declined to help him -- was completely and utterly unacceptable.
Mr. Guglielmo's new site, where he's once again looking for possible bone-marrow donors for his five-month-old son, doesn't include the "enemies list" that got his old site pulled. Here's hoping his son will get the match he needs -- and, not quite as importantly, his father learned a lesson.
(Link fixed. Thanks, Tom Blogical.)
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Comments (8)
If Jesse Jackson can do thi... (Below threshold)1. Posted by Gringo | January 17, 2007 8:01 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
If Jesse Jackson can do this, why not this guy?
1. Posted by Gringo | January 17, 2007 8:01 AM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on January 17, 2007 08:01
2. Posted by Tom Blogical | January 17, 2007 8:20 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Jay:
FYI, your link to Mr. Guglielmo's new site didn't work; however I was able to copy and past the site from the error page.
2. Posted by Tom Blogical | January 17, 2007 8:20 AM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on January 17, 2007 08:20
3. Posted by Tom Blogical | January 17, 2007 8:22 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Sigh. I mean copy and paste. I even previewed the comment. Oh well, pass the coffee.
3. Posted by Tom Blogical | January 17, 2007 8:22 AM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on January 17, 2007 08:22
4. Posted by wavemaker | January 17, 2007 8:46 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Seems to me (on the limited information provided in the story) that Mr. Dewey in Wyoming could be regarded as what one might refer to as "an officious interloper" who should have thought twice before he openly challenged the father's bona fides -- on the guy's own websote no less.
Not that publishing someone's identity and contact info is EVER justified. Both of these guys need to take a chill pill.
4. Posted by wavemaker | January 17, 2007 8:46 AM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on January 17, 2007 08:46
5. Posted by PorkSaladSandwich | January 17, 2007 11:00 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Sounds like the guy is getting some pretty big publicity for his son's plight and their donation web-page - that's a worthy donation in itself. Isn't life grand?
5. Posted by PorkSaladSandwich | January 17, 2007 11:00 AM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on January 17, 2007 11:00
6. Posted by Debra | January 17, 2007 6:05 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Dewey was probably smart enough to Google the father, who has spent a fair amount of time in prison apparently. I wouldn't donate to him either.
6. Posted by Debra | January 17, 2007 6:05 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on January 17, 2007 18:05
7. Posted by paul a'barge | January 17, 2007 6:06 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
This guy Dewey ... who in their right mind would send an email to a father of an ill child telling him that he (the email sender) would NOT be donating, either bone marrow of money?
Is everybody feeling righteous about this whole thing; because I'm not.
I'd like to know that this Dewey guy is going to suffer like Job for the rest of his life.
7. Posted by paul a'barge | January 17, 2007 6:06 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on January 17, 2007 18:06
8. Posted by JD | January 17, 2007 9:44 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Unfortunately, random unsolicited assholery is pretty much the coin of the realm these days, so Dewey is in all likelihood off the hook on this one - that is, until he goes before the Pearly Gates.
8. Posted by JD | January 17, 2007 9:44 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on January 17, 2007 21:44