Tag: AIDS

civil rights, get over it!, hmm interesting, is it just me?, politics, public health, that is so gay, venting, well?, wtf?!

why is gay marriage an issue?

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I keep hearing all of this stuff about trying to find each presidential candidate’s position on gay marriage, and I have ask… why is gay marriage an issue that should be the concern of a president? Seriously? The issue is not gay marriage; it is civil rights. Marriage is the word that the use to describe the religious procedure of getting bound to another person for life. The only thing that could make it an issue, is that it is currently recognized by the government as a legal union, and there are privileges that come with its status. However, it is not the issue, and I don’t get why we are so concerned with that word; marriage.

I would happily take a civil union any day; so long as it afforded me EQUAL rights. I don’t give two shits about calling my partnership a “marriage” vs. calling it a “civil union”; so long as we are treated equally under the law of our government. I personally think that should be more of the focus, as this issue will always be used as more of a wedge than anything, and no person in their right mind is going to go up against the juggernaut that is the Christian church. Also, isn’t there supposed to be a separation of church and state? So again, why not stop calling it “gay marriage” as an issue?

I think that if you get married, good for you; you should also have to file for a civil union, which should be the only union the government officially recognizes. Make it standard for everyone, and make it available for gays and lesbians as well. Keep marriage in the churches, take religion out of the equation, and things can be more acceptable for everyone, right? Perhaps this is too simple of a concept, but it boggles my mind that gay marriage is all anyone ever asks about when it comes to gay and lesbian rights and a presidential candidate. (what about gay civil rights of other people throughout the world? I think that should be a huge concern of ours as well; but that is a more lengthy conversation).

I realized this more fully when I was reading what Obama said, and the “reaction” from some of the gays that he was against gay marriage. We don’t need to fight for religious justification; we need to fight for equality. Sure, the fight for gay marriage is a fight for equality, but it isn’t necessarily the same thing; take religious practice out of the picture officially. These church driven people are NEVER going to give us the “right” to take their “sacred” practice (now with a 50+% failure-rate!) for ourselves, so we should just drop the shit already. I am tired of continually giving it back to them so they can wedge it between what’s really important and this dance that we have been stuck in forever. I am for equality; nothing less, nothing more. Doesn’t that sound like a more fruitful fight?

Unrelated link: This is quite fascinating if it is true; apparently, the first AIDS case was in 1969 in the US. This makes me wonder; why didn’t it spread to the epic proportions that it has today? What was the factor that caused it to spread so rapidly in the 1980s that was different 11 years earlier? If this man was the first documented case of AIDS, how many people had it before him; and who infected him? It really turns the notion of epidemiology on its head, because it really did occur in a seemingly singular incident. Weird.

is it just me?, near and dear, politics, public health, tragic, venting, well?, wtf?!

why don’t we help the sick?

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I read this article this morning, and frankly, it made me mad. I mean, we spend so much money on so many things that we shouldn’t, and yet, we cut funding that provides for those suffering from AIDS (which I definitely think anyone can agree that is something that is important). The weird thing about these cuts, is that AIDS cases, and the needs of those afflicted with HIV/AIDS, are increasing every year. It is estimated that 40k new cases of HIV a year are diagnosed in the US alone, and of those cases, many of them are being found among the minorities and poor of this country. Adding insult to injury, the drugs, treatment, care, and supplies that they need to live on are exuberantly priced, and as such, they are in a lose-lose situation.

Since we know this, where is the (moral?) justification for cutting the funding provided for these things, that work to provide people with services? This is a clear example of how we lack a basic sense of true social security in our nation. Frankly, it scares me on another level, because it shows how, as a society, we are lacking the area of compassion, even when we have more than enough means to make it reality. What’s probably worse, is that this happens to those that are in an area where it is truly deserved; because of the nature of the system that our society operates within.

When I read things like this, I think, what’s next? Throwing old people out of their homes, and using their social security checks to beef up military contracts? When are we going to focus more on the “homeland” that we are supposedly doing so much to protect? I ask, because we constantly hear about protecting “this great nation”, and securing freedom and safety for the citizens of this country, all while we constantly shift our efforts away from the actual people that need our help in this country. It seems that we are only securing the “homeland” for a select few; those that are lucky enough not to get sick, and that have found themselves in a position of wealth without bad luck, or worse, failure.

The scary thing, is that the rich will be just fine, and the poor will just die out, if this continues. The middle class will become the new poor, and eventually, we will die out too. This is a bleak and realistic future for our country if we continue down this ridiculous track; so I ask, why don’t we help the sick? Is it inconceivable to think that, not only do we have the money to take care of every medical funding problem we currently face, we give it to contracts and a handful of corporations, instead of our own people? I don’t think that these are shocking revelations, so why isn’t it something that is being taken care of? Oh yeah… why would you give money to a poor person, when you are too greedy to do so, and instead, want it, and more, for yourself?

Earlier today I was misclassified as following current democratic trains of thought with regards to the war, and as I stated, I don’t always agree with what anyone in politics does. I find a lot of corruption, and not a lot of true philanthropic action. As of right now, I feel alone. The politicians are not people that truly represent the little guys (and increasingly, not even us “middle” guys), and funding cuts like this make it more and more clear that there is no interest in actually making this nation great for anyone other than the elite. There is no definitive compassion that comes without a bribe, an accompanying lobbyist, or greedy grin. I think that I am going to be sick the more I think about this; I just hope that I can afford to take care of myself, because my society is not willing help me out.

I feel helpless right now, and that just sucks. I am having the same feelings I had when I read Joseph’s post the other day, because it comes from the same line of thinking, only his has a specific focus on what we will do when we get older. If you don’t have the money, and your family will not, or cannot, take care of you, you are seriously fucked; the government is probably not coming to your aid. That is what these AIDS patients are facing, and I just don’t understand how that is okay. That is scary, but real, and I frankly am worried as hell.

Speaking of helpless, I read this article, and it made me so utterly sad for that kid (as well as other people that are disregarded in the name of “saving” them). Sometimes, I question what people really are doing when they say that they are working for the good of mankind; because sometimes (and more often than not it seems), it seems that they got it so wrong, that by their method of “helping”, they are causing way more harm than good. Frustrating.

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see, I told you I would give praise where it was due…

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Today, I am going to write a post PRAISING George W. Bush. That’s right, you heard me correctly. I am going to praise him for something wonderful he has done. Something that is so close to my heart, and my life’s cause, that I can’t let it go by without acknowledgement. Does this mean that I think that this nullifies all of his other fuck ups? No, but it does mean that I can definitely see good where it truly shines; and today, that is in Bush’s recent requests from Congress.

Yesterday, Bush requested that Congress authorize $30 billion dollars to combat AIDS, and to provide medications for those afflicted with the disease. This money would go towards stopping AIDS worldwide, and providing medications for those that cannot afford it, in areas that are too poor to afford outrageous pharmaceutical mark ups. This is in addition to the $15 billion that he asked for back in 2003, and shows a clear and concentrated effort to truly help those afflicted with AIDS worldwide. This is amazing coming from the president, especially when you consider, that Reagan never even said the world AIDS during his presidency. Truly a monumental achievement to have our president focused on such an amazingly humanitarian effort.

I am honestly speechless that this amazingly large support for ending AIDS worldwide comes from a president that still touts abstinence only as the only method we can use in teaching our children how to prevent HIV infection in the states. At least somewhere in him, he realizes that the need for more than that is real, and as such, he is actually working with world leaders to make this a global effort.

There are critics to his plan, that focus on the fact that this is not enough money to truly make the type of dent that is necessary to take control of the epidemic. While I do agree that it is not enough, and while I see where they are coming from, I think that Bush has the right idea; it is important for every nation that can throw money at this thing to throw money at it. It can’t be something that the US does alone; if we want to stop it worldwide, we have got to use the rest of the world to do it with us. I for one, am excited to see what comes out of the upcoming global summit, with regards to what other top nations are going to offer as well. I will also have my attention focused on what Bush says about climate change, but we won’t get into that today, because I want to focus on the positive.

Bush, you have done a great thing. Even if one of your main motivators is giving the US good face, since we have been responsible for the killing of hundreds of thousands of Iraqis, it is STILL a good thing. I do, however, find it extremely odd that Christians, and Christian conservatives are so willing to embrace these efforts to help those that need it most in developing nations, when they continue to turn their backs on the people right at their doorsteps. I also find it weird that the focus on ridding the world of AIDS seems to be solely focused on the developing world, when it is still a real problem here in the US. I know that you can’t always have your cake and eat it too, and I certainly don’t want to look a gift horse in the mouth, so these are things that I will just silently ponder; because while they are still important points, I don’t want to shit on the good that is being done with this initiative.

Again, THANK YOU Mr. Bush for showing that you have a compassionate bone in your body. Perhaps, this effort for the US to provide more generosity (even if it is only for the sake of saving face) will spill over into other issues, and we can continue to do more good in the world; perhaps so much, that we can stop doing the bad things, and focus solely on the good things. This is the direction we need to be going in as a nation, and I for one, am glad to see that not only are we capable of doing it, but there is at least some momentum that is going in that direction; even if it is only a little bit. If we want to have a great nation, we have to have it in a great world, and the only way we are going to make that happen, is through leadership, support, and compassion. The only way to make ourselves truly great, is to help those that we can, and do what is right.

(source; for the image too)

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what does idol REALLY give back?

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Last night, I went over to my buddy John’s to watch the spectacle that was “Idol Gives Back”, a charity event where every celebrity they could muster showed up in support of “raising awareness” for people in need. The focus, was raising money to give to kids in Africa, as well as those still in need here in America (did someone say Katrina?). While I honestly want to believe that their hearts were in the right place, this absurd spectacle of “giving back” just made me angrier and angrier as the show wore on. Basically, they showed clip after clip of celebrities going to Africa, walking through the ghettos, and showing these poor unfortunate souls (Ursula!) suffering and dying in the slums.

Now, I am all for charity. In fact, I am all for the raising of awareness. I am all for giving to these people, because they need us. BUT, I am not okay with this dog and pony show parading these kids around in this manner. For the first hour of the program, they didn’t even say AIDS. Now, I understand that the “general” public doesn’t want to hear about the reality of AIDS in Africa, but the fact is, it is real. It isn’t going to go away if you throw a few million dollars at it. To say that it will enrich lives and make things all better is a lie, and that is what is wrong with what happened last night. Simon Cowell and Ryan Seacrest sitting in a one roomed house with a boy of twelve telling him to “just let it out” because he was sad that his parents were both dead was sickening. To top it off, they didn’t even address the fact that this kid’s parents likely died as a result of AIDS.

I truly want to believe that all of these celebrities give tons of money to help rid the world of poverty. I really want to believe that American Idol’s true motive behind this was nothing other than philanthropic; but it wasn’t. Even Ryan Seacrest said it, and said it well, “PART of the proceeds will go to charity”. If they were serious about helping these people in need, then all of it would go to charity. The POINT of the event was to raise money for charity, so where is the other PART going?

Additionally, if I see one more fucking celebrity “slumming” it up in Africa, surrounded by little AIDS infected orphans, saying how the antiretroviral drugs will save their lives and allow them to live happier and healthier lives, I will throw something at the fucking TV. Yes, Madonna, Bono, all of you, I am talking to YOU. Just because you put on a ragged t-shirt, go make-up-less on TV, and talk about how our $1 donation will “save lives”, doesn’t mean that it will. What it does mean, is that you are even further out of touch with reality than I would have ever believed possible. When you get on your private jet to fly home to your 15,000 square foot home, think about this: The only thing that will truly save these children is a continuous stream of money and support that doesn’t show up and then disappear. Spectacles like this merely shine a light on a problem that has been around for decades, and once that light goes out, and the show ends, the focus again dims, and the problem continues to get worse.

If they really wanted to do something lasting, do something good, and do something for these people, this would not be an “awareness” raising event; it would be a daily practice. These celebrities have more money than anyone else, and they have the gall to stand there and ask people to give and give and give some more. I think that we should all give, and I know that many of them do as well, but ask yourself; isn’t a bit hypocritical to live in your mansions on the top of the hill, and point out to the middle and lower class the plight of poverty throughout the world? Do you even know what it means to live paycheck to paycheck?

I would love for every problem in the world to be solved by a night of seeing Josh Groban surrounded by African children, and people calling in to donate money, PART of which will be given to charity. But over simplifying their problems by saying things like, “all they need is a $10 net to stop malaria”, and “if they could just get the antiretroviral HIV drugs, then their lives would be great” is disturbingly misleading. If you really want to do some good, focus on getting that money, ALL of it, to these people, and find a way to make sure that the focus does not wane; otherwise, you have done it in vain. The only way to stop AIDS is to talk about it and maintain a focus on it EVERYDAY. Events like this are a flash in the pan, and in the long run do practically nothing for the people suffering. This seriously frustrates the shit out of me.

</end rant>

listen up!, venting

OMFG! I can’t believe this!!!!! NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Hey, listen up, W.H.O., before you say things like,

Circumcision is the most potent intervention in HIV prevention that has been described.

CAN YOU PLEASE PUT THE INFORMATION YOU REPORT INTO CONTEXT BEFORE YOU REPORT THAT TO THE WORLD?????? The studies that were done on this issue were done in the regions of Africa where infection is the most rampant and there is currently little to no prevention that is working, so the findings from these studies ONLY APPLY in those areas!!!!!! Let me state that again, this study was done, and the findings that came from it, apply ONLY to areas where there is LITTLE OR NO other methods of HIV prevention available, and where HIV incidence is way higher than normal, and it should only be viewed as an applicable method of prevention in those areas!!! This should not be taken out of context and used in populations like the US, where it does not provide up to 60% prevention for HIV, and it is certainly NOT the most potent intervention!!! Again, it does not apply to anywhere but Africa! And should only apply as a last ditch effort when other prevention methods are not available, or are not working!!!!

This makes me want to scream, puke, pull my hair out, and scratch someones eyes out. Ignorance on a level like this is completely inexcusable, especially from an agency as powerful and knowledgeable as the W.H.O.. I can only hope, that the article where this is being reported (source) is the ONLY place that this insane level of misrepresentation is being told. If not, I certainly hope that people that hear this misinformation can be intelligent enough to realize that a cut cock is NOT enough to protect them from HIV; that is, unless they have NO OTHER method of prevention, AND happen to live in the areas of the world were prevalence is at its highest… See, that is the ONLY way that they could statistically come up with that 60% figure!!!! And I can almost guarantee that the people that will read that article, or hear that information ARE NOT the people that will benefit from this “protection”! I am so appalled and disgusted by this outrageous lack of proper reporting and utter absence contextualization that I could just burst.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE: Tell everyone you know that thinks this is true; USE CONDOMS!!! Circumcision certainly IS NOT the “most potent intervention in HIV prevention”!!!!! IT IS NOT TRUE!!! THIS ONLY APPLIES TO AFRICA (notice that ALL of the studies were done in Africa, but they totally downplay that by making such fanciful statements)!!!!

I really, really hope that by writing this post, that if I stop even ONE person from stupidly thinking, that circumcision gives them a 60% protection against HIV, that I have done more than I could hope for. Why educated and powerful people continually do things like this completely shocks me, as this is seriously the difference between life and death for many that will misinterpret this information, and thus, put their lives at risk for no reason at all.

I really hope that they realize what they have done in this misrepresentation of findings, and at least follow up in a manner that illustrates the severe lack of contextualization that is necessary when stating findings such as this; the public health ramifications can be disastrous. I am in complete and utter shock, and I just can’t even begin to express my level of rage right now.