Kerry vows to lift immigration ban on AIDS patients if elected [Lurch wants more AIDS votes]

AFP ^ | July 10, 2004

[nwrep]

WASHINGTON (AFP) - US Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry (news - web sites) promised to lift a ban on immigration to the United Stated by people with AIDS (news - web sites) and vowed to double US assistance to a worldwide campaign to combat the deadly and contagious disease.

The new pledges, timed to coincide with the opening in Thailand of the six-day 15th International AIDS Conference, came as a new opinion poll showed the Massachusetts senator widening his lead over President George W. Bush (news - web sites).

Kerry welcomed the upcoming conference and promised to work with US international partners, faith-based and non-governmental organizations to strengthen the world's capacity for a sustained response to the AIDS epidemic.

But in his statement, he also made a commitment that is likely to draw more fire from conservative groups insisting on tighter immigration requirements.

"I will work with Congress to lift the immigration ban on HIV (news - web sites)-positive people that has prohibited the United States from hosting this lifesaving meeting," promised the senator.

Approximately 40 million people are currently infected with HIV around the world, and six million need antiretroviral therapy now, according to UN experts, who point out that more than 20 million have already been killed by the epidemic.

The United States is testing all new immigrants for HIV, and a positive test is usually grounds for denying admission.

With only about 400,000 people in developing nations having access to treatment, Kerry said, his strategy "starts with doubling US funding."

President George W. Bush promised last year commit 15 billion dollars to the international campaign to combat AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria over the next five years, and Congress has already begun making allocations under the program.

But the Democratic candidate said the White House was falling short of delivering on its promise.

[Cuban - New Yorker]

I am very happy to see that all replues to this forum are as agressive as they are negative.
I came to this country 24 years ago at the age of 20, under president Carter's administration, i have been an outstanding person, hard worker and honest, pay my taxes, have my own health and life insurances that I pay for and do not cause any harm to no one, but in 1986 tested HIV+ while all Cubans were allowed to become American citizens under the Cuban Adjustment Act of 1961 and 1986, any of us who tested positive were not allowed to apply due to the HIV, for 24 years I have seen election after election and the desire of participating in the democratic process that my entire adult life I have been able to witness, however the land that I call home, does not allow me to participate nor give me any rights as human been. now been 45 years old I still dream of one day become citizen with all the rights of the law.
by reading most of your coments it makes me sad to know that people that i share the same land actually treat me like a second class person and make jokes about dying.
One more thing. Americans do not die of AIDS they may die of ignorance, there are millions of of people with the virus and they got it in many many cases by acident.
God bless
JHP