Gays are not "one of the highest income groups". That's one of the myths spread to make it seem like we don't need equal rights because we are doing so well. When you look at something other than professional gay white men you see a very different picture. Black and Hispanic gays, working class lesbians, transpeople are anything but prosperous. I am fucking angry. I am angry that the Reagan administration ignored AIDS despite pleas from public health officials for years while thousands got sick. I am angry that the first ever statement on AIDS by a U.S. cabinet level official was from the attorney general talking about protecting "innocent people" from AIDS. No one talks about protecting innocent people from cancer, it's seen as a disease, not a crime. I am angry that in this thread there are still those who try to differentiate between innocent people with AIDS (like a rape victim, but fuck she was probably asking for it) and guilty people with AIDS who have consenting sex. I am angry that in 2013 schools all over this country are required to teach abstinence only and are not even permitted to talk about condoms. I am angry that real clinics are being forced to shut down all over the country while hundreds of fake "crisis pregnancy centers" that employ no medical staff and perform no services and are well known to provide false information get public funds to tell clients that condoms are designed to be porous and won't protect. I am fucking angry that the Catholic Church in Africa has destroyed shipments of condoms. I am angry that assholes respond to a possible genuine breakthrough by saying these people brought it on themselves. I am angry because to this day and to the end of my life I wake up every fucking day mourning the loss of someone I loved. I am fucking angry because I have seen what advanced AIDS does to a beautiful face. I am angry because people are telling me I should not be angry about this shit. I am fucking angry and I am fucking staying that way.
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/wyntk/cancer/page3 I could 2 out 9 things which you cannot control yourself. It sounds to me like Cancer risk is DEFINITELY behavior based. http://www.aicr.org/learn-more-about-cancer/infographics-mortality.html?gclid=CJPn9MvPyLkCFYl_QgodcV4Ajg Cancer causes causes 7.6m/deaths per year compared to 1.6m/deaths from AIDS. (Good point about overshadowing, you were spot on there) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cancer_mortality_rates Numbers 3 is esophogial cancer (throat cancer) which is primarily caused by tobacco and HPV (Both lifestyle choices) and number 4 is lung cancer (DUH)
Sorry, I didn't think people cared about science based on the general reactions around here. I'm glad we are having a real science discussion!!! =]
Not only did Reagan authorize funding of AIDS research, he ramped up the spending as the disease spread. As a point of reference, ~3000 (too many!) were diagnosed per year while he was increasing federal AIDS research spending. In 1985, he told a press conference: "Including what we have in the budget for ’86, it will amount to over a half a billion dollars that we have provided for research on AIDS, in addition to what I’m sure other medical groups are doing. And we have $100 million in the budget this year; it’ll be 126 million next year. So, this is a top priority with us. Yes, there’s no question about the seriousness of this and the need to find an answer." In 1978, Reagan helped defeat the homophobic prop 6. He said at the time: “Whatever else it is,” Reagan wrote, “homosexuality is not a contagious disease like the measles. Prevailing scientific opinion is that an individual’s sexuality is determined at a very early age and that a child’s teachers do not really influence this.” Reagan added: “Since the measure does not restrict itself to the classroom, every aspect of a teacher’s personal life could presumably come under suspicion. What constitutes ‘advocacy’ of homosexuality? Would public opposition to Proposition 6 by a teacher — should it pass — be considered advocacy?” Robert Kaiser wrote for WaPost in 1984: “The Reagans are also tolerant about homosexual men,” Kaiser wrote. “Their interior decorator, Ted Graber, who oversaw the redecoration of the White House, spent a night in the Reagans’ private White House quarters with his male lover, Archie Case, when they came to Washington for Nancy Reagan’s 60th birthday party — a fact confirmed for the press by Mrs. Reagan’s press secretary http://youtube.com/watch?v=nI038QEP2MU&desktop_uri=/watch?v=nI038QEP2MU In his book And the Band Played On, Randy Shilts notes that in 1983 New York Governor Mario Cuomo, a hero to liberals, nixed (on fiscal grounds) the Republican-dominated state senate's bid to spend $5.2 million on AIDS research and prevention programs. Cuomo's state health commissioner responded to criticism by saying that hypertension was a more important health issue for the state. Yes, we could have spent more, but that can always be said of federal spending. And it's unclear that additional funding would have accomplished much. "You could have poured half the national budget into AIDS in 1983, and it would have gone down a rat hole," says Michael Fumento, an author specializing in health and science issues. We simply didn't know enough about the disease early on to spend huge sums wisely. Gay journalist Bob Roehr, who has closely followed AIDS developments for 20 years, concurs. "I have little reason to believe that a different course of action by Reagan would have significantly altered the scientific state of knowledge" toward a "cure" or vaccine, he says. Aside from spending, it was Reagan's surgeon general who sent the first-ever bulletin to all American homes warning explicitly about AIDS transmission. Reagan created the first presidential commission dealing with AIDS. And, in 1988, Reagan barred discrimination against federal employees with HIV. - See more at: http://igfculturewatch.com/2004/06/24/reagan-and-aids-a-reassessment/#sthash.fOxX8Kqh.dpuf
I know. I am actually old enough to have almost been able to vote for Reagan the first time, and did the second time
Rock Hudson was a close friend of the Reagans. It's clear Ronnie was affected by the tragedy of he epidemic, personally. It's easy to bash him for not saying anything, but it really didn't rank as a high priority for anyone except Reagan's HHS Secy. which democrats were out there talking about a disease spread to hundreds of people early on?
While I'm delighted they may be close to finding a cure/vaccine for HIV/AIDS, a lot of the people with that horrible disease brought it on themselves. I'd be happier to read McDonalds is bring back the McRib.
So...should we not try to cure lung cancer? In most cases, the person brought it on themselves. What about skin cancer? that's usually brought on by actions you do to yourself.
Screw you, treaty_of_batum. Screw you from here to fucking eternity. Do you also oppose Wheat grass? Funny, I don't see you complaining if someone finds a restaurant with Chinese food, oh no, just something you think of as "delicious". I was going to write something thoughtful, but I thought of the people I loved and lost to vegetarianism. We lost a whole fucking generation of young men including some of the people I loved most on this crappy planet and you fucking say who cared about a cure, those health freaks and non junk food eating people brought it on themselves. Fuck you and the horse you rode in on. Mr. Treaty fucking perfect who no doubt never had a Whataburger or a double double at In n Out burger.
So do the people who say "the gays brought it on themselves" think the Blazers were wrong for paying Ramon Ramos' medical expenses? Remember Ramon Ramos? Blazer rookie who crashed his car. No seat belt. May have been drinking. Major life threatening injuries. The Blazers were praised for covering his hospitalization and rehab although they had no legal obligation to do so. I did not see anyone saying he brought it on himself. Probably because he was straight. Ask again why I'm so fucking angry, you shitheads who think this is a big fat fucking joke. But I'm still not quite nasty enough to wish AIDS on you. Or rape. Or anything you consider funny because it's the "other". Guess I am incapable of being as vicious as some of you.
