Posted on 07/22/2002 8:49:22 AM PDT by Stand Watch Listen
For those of you who may have missed the latest International AIDS Conference in Barcelona, Spain, AIDS is once again a colossal epidemic that is sweeping the world. At least that is what a casual observer of the conference would likely believe. However, is AIDS truly a crisis that will ruin the world or at least the U.S.? The answer is 'No', though the typical verbiage from AIDS activists and the media would lead most Americans to believe that AIDS is spreading faster than investor panic on Wall Street.
The fact remains that HIV, the disease which eventually leads to AIDS, is primarily spread through sexual contact, both heterosexual and homosexual, along with the sharing of needles used to inject intravenous drugs. In fact, a recent study by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) noted that the spread of HIV through sharing needles pales in comparison with the risk of contracting the virus through sexual contact.
Unfortunately, the methods of transmission are rarely highlighted in reports regarding AIDS. Instead, those who state the obvious are characterized as hatemongers and right-wing zealots. However, laying out the truth and educating individuals does far more to curtail the spread of AIDS than wearing ribbons, making quilts and marching in parades. These practically useless activities mostly only help those who participate to feel better about themselves.
Oftentimes AIDS activists claim that the disease does not discriminate when selecting its victims. This is simply not true. Individuals who are in monogamous sexual relationships and have not engaged in promiscuous sex, have little chance in ever contracting the disease. However, those who are in promiscuous sexual relationships, especially homosexual, have the potential to contact HIV through only one sexual contact with another individual.
With the methods of transmission laid out, it becomes quite obvious that AIDS, unlike so many of the diseases that affect millions of Americans, is largely preventable if only individuals would not have multiple sexual partners, either in homosexual or heterosexual relationships. Yet, despite the obvious simplicity in preventing the spread of this disease, our government spends an enormous amount of money on AIDS.
For example take diabetes, which according to a major diabetes information website, kills four times as many Americans as AIDS and breast cancer combined. AIDS receives federal funding of approximately $2,700 per patient from the National Institute of Health (NIH). The NIH only provides a scant $48 in federal funding for diabetes patients.
If AIDS, which some estimate affects an upper limit of 900,000 Americans, is truly only a minor cause of death among Americans, then why is such an enormous amount of federal funding allocated to the disease? After all, how much money should it take to tell Americans, and especially children, to not 'sleep around' and engage in homosexual relationships? A 'Just say no" campaign, similar to the program enacted to curtail drug use, could go a long way in limiting the spread of the deadly disease, especially among our teenagers.
Simply put, AIDS affects ethnic and social minorities in the U.S. and for that reason it receives a disproportionate amount of attention from the media. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, AIDS is the sixth leading cause of death among black males and the tenth leading cause of death among black females. Of course, AIDS is also a major cause of death among homosexuals as well.
The federal government's gross overfunding of AIDS prevention programs versus other disease prevention programs has also largely come about due to the hype over the disease in which claims were made that AIDS would become the next great plague. The media jumped on the story, with little scrutinization of the bogus claims as to the number of victims. This tragedy has been well documented in Bernard Goldberg's bestseller, Bias: A CBS Insider Exposes How the Media Distort the News.
Our government spends in excess of $8 billion per year in AIDS-related programs. The question must be asked, "Should our government continue to spend this much money on a disease that is largely preventable?" The answer is clearly "No!" We should certainly continue to search for a cure, though arguably this is should not be a function of the government. However, funding for AIDS education should be cut and the funds moved to finding cures for diseases that are either passed on genetically or not largely preventable, such as diabetes and heart disease. By doing this, maybe more innocent people can be saved who are stricken with an unpreventable disease.
[Hmmmmm...must be post-Jan 21, 2001]
Related Article
The Homosexual Mafia And AIDS. The New Untouchables
Source: Toogood Reports; Published: July 19, 2002;
Author: Patrick Mallon
AIDS is the most discriminating disease we have ever seen. Maybe that's why we like it so. AIDS is like a big tattle tail little sister. If you are a country with an AIDS epidemic, what is that Tattler saying about you? If you are a guy in california with pierced ears and the cutest clothes and you have AIDS. What is that tattler saying about you?
The message should be spread far and wide: Have promiscuous sex and you will likely suffer serious consequences. I'm a religious guy, and I cannot get over how much better the world would be for just following God's advice on this.
Is it just me, or do AIDS, homelessness, and evil rich people getmoreonly press coverage during Republican administrations than during Democratic administrations?Hope you don't mind my correction...;-)
In general, wherever there is gross irresponsibility, there is liberal adoration.
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