Modern Day Scribes and Pharisees

Recently many of Tucson’s elite citizens showed up to support the Salvation Army’s Encore fashion show and it really stung to see that much support for the organization responsible for nearly killing my grandson. I watched my family react to the fact that so many well known members of our community could turn out and offer their support to the very organization that is responsible for doing this to Ethan, but continues to refuse to accept responsibility, instead has dragged my family through hell.


There is a difference between lending your voice and using your status to bring awareness to a cause and showing up to an event, you really know nothing about. I can only presume it’s that you want to be seen and rub elbows with others just so you feel good about yourself. You show up, pose for the cameras rub elbows with the crème de la crème of Tucson society, and publicly proclaim what a good organization this is. How do you know? Did you forget what happened to Ethan? You probably did because well after all Ethan was yesterday’s news and he isn’t a congressman, or a celebrity and wasn’t in the presence of one when he was injured.

You forget that the very organization you are supporting is responsible for what happened to an innocent young boy and has yet to accept responsibility for their failure to protect a child in their care. Instead they spend hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions fighting a lawsuit and denying any culpability. Why? Because if the truth came out, perhaps you wouldn’t be so quick to jump up and attend a fashion show, you’d move on to the next ‘cause’ that you could walk away from and pat yourself on the back and feel good about. See me? I did a good thing.

I challenge each of you who attended, participated or otherwise have supported any charity organization to really find out what they do with your donations. To hold them accountable when they fail to protect our children, when they fail to live up to their mission statement and support the very community from which they draw their funding.

I sat over the past week and watch the news and how the family of little John Federico struggled by holding car wash after car wash to raise money to pay the funeral costs to bury their little 7 yr old boy, who was gunned down in front of his home.

Where were the major league players for this little boy? Sadly I’ve come to realize that we can fill a basketball arena, when the President of the United States shows up, but we can’t come to the aid of our neighbors and friends who have be struck by tragedy!

Unless that tragedy occurs in the mainstream media spotlight. Just because John John was not standing next to a public figure or a celebrity when his life was taken, or just because no one of import was at the Salvation Army pool when Ethan nearly lost his life, doesn’t mean that this these lives don’t matter. Ethan was and is important to me. He is my ONLY grandson and I no longer get to hear his voice call me 'grandma'.

I mean no disrespect to those killed and injured in January. I have sat and cried at the pain all these families went through and I have cried for my grandson as well.

I wonder what would be the quality of his life, if he had received the very best care in the early days after sustaining his injury. Instead because he is not a public figure or a celebrity, he was sent to a state funded facility.

Why does my daughter have to rely on public aid and welfare because she has to care for her son and hasn’t been able to return to work?

So the next time you do your alms in public, remember the words of Jesus in Matthew 6
1Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.

2Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

3But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:

4That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.

Stand Up- Ha! Take Your Own Advice Salvation Army!

Does it confound others as much as it does me that the Salvation Army can spend the time, energy and money to have a band march in the Rose Bowl Parade and of all things play a song called

“Stand Up”,

When they refuse to stand up and take responsibility for what they have done to Ethan?


This organization will spend money on their ad campaigns and public image but they won’t stand by their own mission to

“Do the Most Good”

What good did they do, in being careless about taking care of the children in their charge? Why won’t they just tell the truth? I challenge them to start by standing up and taking ownership and responsibility for what they failed to do, and that is keep a child safe.

If you agree that the Salvation Army NEEDS to STAND UP and Do the Right Thing for Ethan, feel free to re post this message on your own blogs etc. You can also contact me at all4ethan@gmail.com