"Protecting the rights of even the least individual among us is basically the only excuse the government has for even existing." -Ronald Reagan
Hi Friends;
I saw this today on Milkboys' political roundup. It was an interesting article....on an issue of which I was completely in the dark. Did you know this was happening? Give your thoughts below.
http://www.queerty.com/for-hiv-positive-people-sex-carries-the-risk-of-imprisonment-sex-offender-charges-20111209/
While making his documentary about the media hysteria and unjust penalties behind HIV criminalization, Sean Strub, the founder of Poz Magazine, spoke with Nick Rhoades. Rhoades had an detectable viral load, used a condom and did not transmit HIV to his partner. But even still, a court sentenced him to 25 years for assault just because he had sex while HIV+.
He had to register as a sex offender every three months (child molesters have to register every six months). He couldn’t be around minors without their parents and had to wear a GPS ankle bracelet for 24 hour monitoring every day. He could not have any alcohol in the house, had to be home by midnight and couldn’t watch pornography. The police could search his computer whenever they liked and made him take psychological and phallometric tests where they gauged his reactions to different types of porn by putting a girth-measuring band around his penis.
Right now, 34 states and two U.S. territories currently have varying statutes that can penalize HIV+ people for potentially exposing others to the disease. In Rhoades’ home state of Iowa, an HIV+ person can get charged with assault and attempted murder for having consensual sex. In Michigan, an HIV+ man who bit someone in self-defense got charged with bioterrorism. And in Texas, an HIV+ man got 35 years in prison for spitting at a police officer.
In September U.S. Congresswoman Barbara Lee introduced the Repeal HIV Discrimination Act, a bill that could end HIV criminalization nationwide. Until then the justice system at large and the American media consider the millions of Americans with HIV as criminals just waiting to attack.
Monday, December 12, 2011
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
A shocking pic from my perspective not pretty, be warned.
Hello everyone;
I looked into msn and saw the horrible nature of man. I am going to post the picture, because it needs to be posted, but I'll do so far below so that it doesn't come up right away. People need to see it, and msn believed that also....though it took them a day to come to that conclusion.
We wonder about a person's delicacy here in America so we don't show pics that are graphic and horrible. But, those things are loose in the world. Pain, hurt, anger and death, war and wounds and starvation of body, mind and soul. It's not what I see in my little corner, and maybe that's a good thing. I don't know how I'd respond. Would I be callous? Would I look upon such a thing with a gladness in my heart that I'd accomplished something profound against my enemy? I sure hope not. I sure hope that if I am ever so unfortunate to be placed in such an environment that I could somehow not glory in this type of stuff.
What I'm going to talk about below is LABELS. I made a comment on Milkboys that I was concerned about the reference of LGBT issues being labeled as such in reference to civil rights violations. In my mind, a man or woman, of any age - ie baby to grandmama/grandpapa - who has their rights violated makes for a violation of rights, not a violation of women's rights, man's rights, gays rights, etc.... It seems to me that when we put labels on someone, we open the door for prejudice based solely on that label. I was told it was not quite so simple, and I defer to more experienced minds on this, but I still have a hard time not seeing it that way.
Well, same here. And here is the pic.... It may not make the rest of your day so special...
I looked into msn and saw the horrible nature of man. I am going to post the picture, because it needs to be posted, but I'll do so far below so that it doesn't come up right away. People need to see it, and msn believed that also....though it took them a day to come to that conclusion.
We wonder about a person's delicacy here in America so we don't show pics that are graphic and horrible. But, those things are loose in the world. Pain, hurt, anger and death, war and wounds and starvation of body, mind and soul. It's not what I see in my little corner, and maybe that's a good thing. I don't know how I'd respond. Would I be callous? Would I look upon such a thing with a gladness in my heart that I'd accomplished something profound against my enemy? I sure hope not. I sure hope that if I am ever so unfortunate to be placed in such an environment that I could somehow not glory in this type of stuff.
What I'm going to talk about below is LABELS. I made a comment on Milkboys that I was concerned about the reference of LGBT issues being labeled as such in reference to civil rights violations. In my mind, a man or woman, of any age - ie baby to grandmama/grandpapa - who has their rights violated makes for a violation of rights, not a violation of women's rights, man's rights, gays rights, etc.... It seems to me that when we put labels on someone, we open the door for prejudice based solely on that label. I was told it was not quite so simple, and I defer to more experienced minds on this, but I still have a hard time not seeing it that way.
Well, same here. And here is the pic.... It may not make the rest of your day so special...
 |
An Afghan Shia Muslim's cries near dead and injured after explosions during a religious ceremony in the center of Kabul on Dec. 6. At least 60 people were killed in an explosion at a Kabul shrine where Shia Muslims were marking the Day of Ashura Tuesday. Now, when I look at this pic, I don't see an "Afgan Shia Muslim"... I see a mother, a sister, an aunt or what have you...looking down upon the death and hurt of so many of her neighbors, family, friends. I see babies, mommies, little boys and grandmas. I don't see the label so easy to hate, evidently by some. I see people. What is going on that babies and mommies and grandmas, little boys and girls, PEOPLE! are a military objective? How does this do anything? What is being proven? How in the world does someone sleep at night after doing this? and more so, how ever could they think that a loving and real deity could ever sanction such. My heart aches. It just aches. |
hello friends, welcome to the nuthouse...
I've grown so very disillusioned with the manner in which news is presented in this country. Fox is getting downright shameless in their promotion of an agenda. Is that the role of the news-broadcasters in our world now? Not to tell you what is going on, but to find news to fit a political agenda?
I guess what scares me is that Fox is so blatant about it, but do all do this?
Some of the recent "you are kidding, right?" for Fox news is decrying the new Muppets movie as part of a communist agenda. Why? Because the antagonist for the movie is an oil driller, seeking to bulldoze the Muppets' stage because he found oil there. Folks...it's a movie. You do know that Muppets aren't real, right? But, up in arms they go, marching off as to war against the enemy....
So what got me on this rant.... well, I won't even dignify it with words, just this link (WTF!!!) . I'll let you see the vid and you will understand my incredulity.
What has become of our country? Why do people just accept any bs as real and true. Why don't they use their eyes, observe the world about them? I know that I am in a small bubble of the world, a small bubble to my state even. I see things from my perspective, I understand that. And, I know that I sometimes come off as having the answers....I just want to have a conversation in which we talk about the reality, not the preset bull. I want to believe that my presence on this planet is not to acquire wealth and step on people smaller than me. I want to believe that we can be more than we are....I don't want to work towards being selfish and small.
I've considered repeatedly dropping this blogging exercise. And, to be honest, there are days when I really just don't like it at all. When I see things so blatantly under my dignity to even acknowledge but find them to be so prevalent. What is going on?? How can people be so dumb?? But, small moments come and I hear from people all over the world who tell me about their thoughts, their beliefs, and it is so cool. Maybe my life is not so small, so closed in this little corner of my world. Maybe I can go out of this world knowing that I did one thing worth while and cried out to the world ...... THINK! Well, you know the old saw...those that can't do, teach. :)
hugs everyone.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
out of the mouths of babes...
What Elijah says is: "My Mommy is gay. But, she doesn't need any fixing."
What the rest of say is Put that in your pretensious little pipe and smoke that, Bachman!'
Monday, December 5, 2011
Found through Milkboys...
Unless I have lost my memory, the only realistic way to transmit the HIV virus is through blood or semen, right? This aids.org site says that my memory hasn't gone completely around the bend...at least on this. So, my only question: What goes on at this school to make this child a risk to others?
http://www.aids.org/topics/aids-faqs/how-is-hiv-transmitted/
A private high school in Pennsylvania refuses to admit a 13-year-old honor student who is HIV positive. The student's lawyer has filed a lawsuit alleging the school "violated multiple anti-discrimination laws." WCAU-TV's Tim Furlong reports.
By Art Caplan, Ph.D.
Today is World AIDS day – and there’s a lot of rhetoric flying around about progress in the fight against HIV and AIDS, especially in overcoming fear and bigotry.
Except for at one school in Pennsylvania.
The administrators at the Milton Hershey School have single-handedly set back years of hard work tamping down the fear of those with HIV by denying admission to a boy who is HIV-positive, based on what can only be explained as fear, ignorance and bigotry.
The pre-K to 12th grade boarding school, located in Hershey, Penn., was financed and founded in 1909 by the Hershey’s chocolate company tycoon. It gives a free education to poor children and kids with behavioral problems. It has beautiful grounds, first-rate facilities and a dedicated staff. Its website is full of lofty language with talk of being "a caring community” and a school “that opens new doors for children whose families could not otherwise afford it”.
Unless apparently, the child has HIV.
The 13-year-old boy, described as an honors student, whose name isn’t being made public, and his family filed a lawsuit Tuesday against the school for discriminating against him.
The Hershey School said today in a statement that they can't admit him because “in order to protect our children in this unique environment, we cannot accommodate the needs of students with chronic communicable diseases that pose a direct threat to the health and safety of others.”
Say what? You have got to be kidding me.
The notion that you cannot place a kid who is HIV-positive in a residential school setting because he puts the community at risk is out of step with science, public health, and worst of all, real-world experience.
Ryan White fought -- and won -- that battle in the mid-1980s, after the teen was expelled from his Indiana school for being HIV-positive. But all these years later, here we are again somehow.
We have known for a long time that you can work or live with someone with HIV with next to no risk. Sexual contact is the primary risk factor, but that is hardly a reason not to allow a boy to go to school.
Shame on the Milton Hershey School for denying this kid the chance the school has given to so many others with special needs for reasons that have no basis in fact. Shame on the Milton Hershey School for discriminating against a young man who could bring much to their community. Shame on the Milton Hershey School for invoking a rationale for discrimination that only resurrects the bigotry and fear that it has taken decades to get rid of.
The school should do the right thing and do it today — admit this kid, hold a seminar soon on HIV and risk for their trustees, teachers and administrators and then renew their public commitment to “open their doors” to ALL who can both benefit and contribute to the school community by their presence.
http://vitals.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/12/01/9144810-bioethicist-shame-on-school-for-rejecting-boy-with-hiv
http://www.aids.org/topics/aids-faqs/how-is-hiv-transmitted/
A private high school in Pennsylvania refuses to admit a 13-year-old honor student who is HIV positive. The student's lawyer has filed a lawsuit alleging the school "violated multiple anti-discrimination laws." WCAU-TV's Tim Furlong reports.
By Art Caplan, Ph.D.
Today is World AIDS day – and there’s a lot of rhetoric flying around about progress in the fight against HIV and AIDS, especially in overcoming fear and bigotry.
Except for at one school in Pennsylvania.
The administrators at the Milton Hershey School have single-handedly set back years of hard work tamping down the fear of those with HIV by denying admission to a boy who is HIV-positive, based on what can only be explained as fear, ignorance and bigotry.
The pre-K to 12th grade boarding school, located in Hershey, Penn., was financed and founded in 1909 by the Hershey’s chocolate company tycoon. It gives a free education to poor children and kids with behavioral problems. It has beautiful grounds, first-rate facilities and a dedicated staff. Its website is full of lofty language with talk of being "a caring community” and a school “that opens new doors for children whose families could not otherwise afford it”.
Unless apparently, the child has HIV.
The 13-year-old boy, described as an honors student, whose name isn’t being made public, and his family filed a lawsuit Tuesday against the school for discriminating against him.
The Hershey School said today in a statement that they can't admit him because “in order to protect our children in this unique environment, we cannot accommodate the needs of students with chronic communicable diseases that pose a direct threat to the health and safety of others.”
Say what? You have got to be kidding me.
The notion that you cannot place a kid who is HIV-positive in a residential school setting because he puts the community at risk is out of step with science, public health, and worst of all, real-world experience.
Ryan White fought -- and won -- that battle in the mid-1980s, after the teen was expelled from his Indiana school for being HIV-positive. But all these years later, here we are again somehow.
We have known for a long time that you can work or live with someone with HIV with next to no risk. Sexual contact is the primary risk factor, but that is hardly a reason not to allow a boy to go to school.
Shame on the Milton Hershey School for denying this kid the chance the school has given to so many others with special needs for reasons that have no basis in fact. Shame on the Milton Hershey School for discriminating against a young man who could bring much to their community. Shame on the Milton Hershey School for invoking a rationale for discrimination that only resurrects the bigotry and fear that it has taken decades to get rid of.
The school should do the right thing and do it today — admit this kid, hold a seminar soon on HIV and risk for their trustees, teachers and administrators and then renew their public commitment to “open their doors” to ALL who can both benefit and contribute to the school community by their presence.
http://vitals.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/12/01/9144810-bioethicist-shame-on-school-for-rejecting-boy-with-hiv
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