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Cross With The Red Cross

Disaster relief agency tells beloved folk hero cop he can't pray at shelter
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I cannot believe that the Red Cross did this to Capt. Clay Higgins, a folk hero here in south Louisiana:

(UPDATE: Can’t get that Facebook video to embed. Go watch it here.)

A Red Cross spokeswoman confirms that the agency does have rules governing praying in its shelters, but says managers would have accommodated Capt. Higgins if he had approached them. Her response comes in a Baton Rouge Advocate story about how a lot of people in Louisiana, even the governor, have complaints or at least concerns about the way the Red Cross has been handling things here.

From the American Red Cross blog:

Is it true that the Red Cross doesn’t allow people to pray in shelters?

We have been so moved by the outpouring of care and kindness we’ve witnessed among Louisiana residents. At the Red Cross, our priority is also providing comfort to all that reside at our shelters. We recognize and are sensitive to the fact that hundreds of people from different backgrounds are often sharing a large space with limited privacy. It is of the utmost importance that we respect people’s individual needs, backgrounds and beliefs in accordance with our Fundamental Principles, which state that we bring assistance without discrimination as to nationality, race, religious beliefs, class or political opinion. With this in mind, and for the privacy of our shelter residents, we do have policies in place on who can enter shelters to ensure that people have a private, secure place to stay as much as possible. Please know people in the shelters are also welcome to pray and gather among themselves.

So much for the “Cross” in Red Cross. No wonder south Louisiana people are pissed off at them.

By the way, here’s Captain Higgins on a street in front of his daughter’s flooded-out house. This is uncut Higgins. The scene you’re looking at here is very common around here these days:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3UjeSzN1eo]

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