From: hargrove@ramirez.mitre.org (Paul H. Hargrove)
Newsgroups: talk.bizarre,alt.politics.bush,alt.politics.clinton
Subject: Re: AIDS and those damn democrats
Date: 23 Jul 92 17:09:30 GMT
Organization: Mitre Corporation, McLean, VA
Originator: hargrove@ramirez

In article <1992Jul23.153126.22572@aio.jsc.nasa.gov> noyes@sweetpea.jsc.nasa.gov  writes:
>ornell.edu> <1992Jul23.152152@axion.bt.co.uk>
>Date: Thu, 23 Jul 1992 15:31:26 GMT
>Lines: 26
>
>Yeah I am serious! But my opinion is not the view of the republican party,
>my employer, or anyone else but me!

Unfortunately many others do share your opinion.

>
>Is it so ludicrous to suggest that people stop engaging in the type
>of behavior that is known to spread the AIDS virus. It is a simple 
>solution, I know, but why not try it? I think that people would
>rather just throw lots of money trying trying to fix diseases like
>AIDS, rather than curing the behavior that caused it!

I do agree that proper education can help, but is not a substitute for
a cure.  A cure, to be called a cure, would be nearly 100% effective.
This is certainly what I would like to see, as it would prevent far more
needless deaths than education, just as a cure for lung cancer would prevent
far more than the Surgen General's warning on tabacco products does.

>
>The only AIDS infected people that I have compassion for are the
>innocent health care workers, children, transfussion patients, and
>rape victims that have contacted the disease through incidental means.
>The others that have contracted it knew there was a risk, and didn't beat
>the odds. 

I have compassion for all human beings, as you should if you truely believe
the religion you espouse in the following paragraphs.  I happen to be an
atheist, but still treat all human beings as equally deserving of my compasion.
Certainly the boundless compasion of your deity is extended to a man who
contracted AIDS from anal intercourse just as he extends it to a woman who has
been raped.  If your religious beliefs are correct, then the difference between
the two will be punished by your diety after their death, but it is the role
of your diety to judge others, it is not YOUR place to judge.

>
>I don't think that God designed the human anus to recieve a man's penis
>so it is no wonder that problems occur when this type of behavior is common
>place.  I also don't think God put monkeys, and gerbals in the
>food chain for the purpose of human copulation! But who am I to
>say?

As I said above, it is not your place to say.  If you believe in your religion,
then it is the role of your diety to say what purpose it had.  You are free
to interpret your holy text as you wish but your interpretation is only valid
as a guide to your own behavior.  To follow any religion one must do what ones
own interpretaion of that religion dictates, not what others, such as you, may
say your diety intended.

>
>I sure as hell don't want my tax dollars spent on programs to stop the
>spread of AIDS, when there are numerous other diseases, like cancer,
>that are NOT preventable!

But, they ARE and by essentialy the same means you suggest for the prevention
of AIDS.  The government must simply educate the population to understand that
people with a family history of cancer or heart disease (or a cleft pallet for
that matter) should simply not engage in sex, as such behavior might cause
them to produce offspring with an elevated risk for the condition in question.

>As for finding a cure, it is necessary because
>of the diseases infiltration into the hetero-sexual community, and thus
>the innocent victims. 
     ^^^^^^^^
What is this 'innocent' supposed to mean here.  You point out, above, the
individuals who you have compasion for, because these are the innocent people.
Not one of the types you list as thoes of innocent victims, "...health care
workers, children, transfussion patients, and rape victims....," is
characteristic of hetero-, homo-, or bi-sexual individuals.  The way I read
your last comment you seem to think that a homo-sexual health care worker is
just as expendable as any other homo-sexual, when in reality no human being
is more expendable than another, with the possible exception of bigots such
as you.
--------
Paul H. Hargrove, speaking for myself.
Newsgroups: talk.bizarre,alt.politics.bush,alt.politics.clinton