Posted on 02/21/2005 5:44:33 PM PST by pam4454
E-mail gaffe reveals HIV, AIDS names P.B. County Health Department employees received the message. By Jane Daugherty
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Monday, February 21, 2005
WEST PALM BEACH — A highly confidential list of the names and addresses of 4,500 Palm Beach County residents with AIDS and 2,000 others who are HIV positive was e-mailed Thursday to more than 800 county health department employees.
Health department statistician John W. "Jack" Nolan, who compiles data on HIV/AIDS cases for the county, sent the e-mail containing his monthly cumulative statistics report and inadvertently attached a file with the identities and addresses of AIDS patients and others who have tested HIV positive. Health department spokesman Tim O'Connor confirmed the incident.
(Excerpt) Read more at palmbeachpost.com ...
The case is being played out in the courts with Limbaugh fighting to have his private medical records sealed in a pending drug case against him.
I am sure many Floridians who hate Rush were glad for his troubles. How many of them came to his aid? Why was there no outcry from the public over this obvious overstep of the government into the personal privacy of a fellow citizen?
Is it any wonder now that, due to a supposed gaffe, thousands of his fellow West Palm Beach neighbors who have AIDS or HIV now have their private medical records being broadcast to the World via the email system?
Hey, if Rush Limbaughs medical records are fair game, maybe this is just fair play? I wonder how many Floridians who took great joy from Rush's troubles are on that list.
The ACLU , ironically, stepped up to the plate to help Rush. It was right for the ACLU to come to Rush's aid. It would have been right for all to come to his aid for what is a very dangerous precident with regard to the status of our God given right to privacy.
Remember, when one gets hurt from unlawful injustice, when the government becomes powerful enough to carry out a vandetta on one, all are at risk.
Maybe we can chalk it up to "Big brother is watching and he can ruin your life". Is Palm Beach leading the parade when it comes to abolishing privacy rights?
In regards to your last question, YES.
As is typical with today's Liberal - The chickens come home to roost on wings of eagles.
The main difference between Rush Limbaugh's case and this one is that the ingestion of illegal pills does not constitute a public health hazard. AIDS is a communicable disease. There would not be an issue about releasing the names of people who tested positive for tuberculosis or hantavirus. Because the disease primarily infects male homosexuals, the syndrome has become politicized, in total disregard of sound medical practices. The protection of the public should trump individual privacy rights in this case.
It is a pity Rush is not around this week to say something on this.
The conduct down there in West Palm Beach is utterly outrageous. This is just further proof that you can't trust these people.
It's a deadly disease. The only medical condition it causes is death.
Lists like these should be readily available on the internet or through a simple phone call to a universal AIDS registry.
Just another reminder, folks. Email is NOT PRIVATE.
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