Santosh Helekar wrote: The above statement of Mario Goveia constitutes the shameless spreading of an intentional, malicious lie to insult those of us who have exposed the alarmist hoax perpetrated by him in this public forum. This statement of his also appears to be borne out of prejudice against the unfortunate folk who are suffering from AIDS and have become addicted to drugs.
Mario replies: Because I have not been receiving individual emails of your postings on Goanet it has only now come to my attention that you have been posting a series of highly insulting, abusive and misleading postings on Goanet about my role in suggesting that people watch where they sit in public places. If you were not so personally offended and unhinged about the notion that AIDS-infected drug users could possibly leave infected needles in public places you would have learned from all the postings on this subject that I have never once defended the original hoax, or continued to spread it, as you allege. So it is you who have been relentlessly spreading shameless lies that I have. My first clue to the hoax came from George Pinto, and I immediately routed George's information to the person who sent me the original email, asking them to check it out. Your contention that I am prejudiced against AIDS victims is another blatant falsehood unsupported by anything I have said or done. Not once have I questioned the theoretical probability of contracting AIDS from infected needles in public places, the sole issue that underpins your hysterical, abusive and mean-spirited responses and insinuations. Other Goanetters should ask why, if the probability of contracting AIDS accidentally in emergency rooms and operating rooms is as small as Santosh alleges, are such heroic precautions routinely taken by physicians and nurses in those settings? And why do dentists wear gloves? Even coaches and trainers who treat injured athletes, boxers, etc. are required to take precautions against contracting AIDS accidentally, even though the statistical probability is miniscule in those settings as well. Based on Santosh's bogus standards they must all be prejudiced against AIDS victims. After all, all I have done is issue a warning, they have actually implemented practices and procedures to be followed to reduce the risk. So, Santosh's relentless downplaying of the risks of contracting this incurable disease is questionable at best and dangerous at worst. Back to Santosh, I continue to wonder about and question the reasons behind the level of your hysteria and abuse, just because I choose to defend, not the hoax, but my suggestion that people be careful. This abuse has come primarily from you and your bosom buddy Jose Colaco, viciously and falsely impugning primarily my integrity, who mistakenly posted with the best of intentions an email I received. Then you turned on Viviana and Gabriel who posted information of actual needles being found in public places, which the two of you are so desperately trying to downplay as a risk or a hazard. The simple common-sense suggestion that people be careful where they sit in a public place, whatever its basis, seems to have personally offended both of you, based purely on theoretical statistical probabilities. Though the risk may be a small fraction of 1% based on past statistics, the next person who may actually have the misfortune to be so infected would experience an occurrence level of 100%. I would not want to be that person, and neither would I like that to be someone I know, just because they believed from your statistics that nothing similar could ever happen to them. >