Vampire Blood Markets Could Save Lives
Supporters believe we can live in harmony with vampires, but their diet may pose problems. Are blood markets the answer?
By Vanessa Wolfe, Seattle Independent Journal
Posted September 13
One of the biggest fears when it comes to vampires living among us is their diet, and rightfully so. Ask anyone young or old what vampires eat, and they'll tell you the same thing: Blood.
Many people are of the mindset that vampires feeding from humans is a new concept, but it's not. We forget that vampires have been drinking human blood for centuries. The only difference now is we're aware of it. Could the answer to our concerns be as easy as blood donations?
In the past, secrecy was their utmost vampire law. A current change in their government structure has eliminated the need to hide their existence. According to Luke, Seattle Independent Journal's very own vampire insider, feeding options were very limited.
"We basically had two choices: kill the humans and remain compliant with our law, or get blood from the black market."
These markets operated much the same as the speakeasies of the prohibition movement, with humans being willing (and sometimes not-so-willing) blood donors. But these blood markets weren't a perfect solution for those who preferred not to kill their meal.
"It posed a danger for vampires and humans alike," claims Luke. While discovery was punishable by death for all involved, there was also a high rate of human death by blood loss. "It was hard to know when and where the markets would pop up. Vampires who abstained in the interim would often lose control while feeding, draining the human or inflicting a fatal injury."
Due to their high risk factor, the venues never stayed in one place for very long. Advertising was risky, and many vampires didn't go to the effort to seek them out. Humans who volunteered their services didn't always understand what they were getting into either. "Once a human became a donor, death was the only way out."
Now that the existence of vampires is known, Luke hopes it will open the door for more volunteers. You may be asking why anyone in their right mind would sign up for something so dangerous. Perhaps you should instead ask why they should.
"Vampires need fresh human blood to survive. The majority of us don't want to harm people, but our survival instincts will kick in if we don't feed. The more blood donors we have, the more often we can feed. Donating no longer has to be a lifelong commitment. It can even be a one-time circumstance. Hopefully with a steady supply of blood, the rate of human casualties will diminish."
As we are quickly finding out, there are a lot of vampires in the world. With the rate anti-vampire leagues are forming, vampires like Luke will be hard-pressed to find enough volunteers to keep them sated. Will the altruism of the minority be enough to keep us all safe? Only time will tell.
If you are interested in anonymous blood donation, please contact […].
