HEY TOMMY !!!!! They were too stupid to wear a CONDOM ?????? Or were they waiting for your proposed and prayed for nanny-state to help them on with one ????
On Tue, Feb 8, 2011 at 5:54 PM, Keith In Köln <[email protected]>wrote: > You're an idiot. > > > > On Tue, Feb 8, 2011 at 3:51 PM, Tommy News <[email protected]> wrote: > >> Reagan took about six years before he even mentioned the term "AIDS". >> His fundie beliefs backed up his homophobic friends like Jerry >> Falwell, etc. who went around screaming and preaching that gays >> deserved to die and AIDS was their punishment from God. Reagan >> abandoned his gay friends from Hollywood in favor of Conservative >> politics. >> >> During those years of silence, thousands of deaths and many thousands >> of infections could have been prevented if Reagan had simply spoken >> out, and ordered prevention, treatment, and research. Reagan was >> indeed directly responsible for all those deaths and infections due to >> his inaction and silence. >> >> Ronnie did NOTHING while thousands of people died. >> >> Nothing beats diversity, especially when it's a diversity of scary-stupid. >> >> >> On 2/7/11, THE ANNOINTED ONE <[email protected]> wrote: >> > Shit Tommy, I can't get a 20 dollar hooker to screw me without a >> > condom yet 17,000 more gays per year are infected in the US because of >> > this simple item.... >> > >> > Again..... Why should I care about an IDIOT ??? >> > >> > On Feb 7, 4:57 pm, Tommy News <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> Ronald Reagan’s Real Legacy: Death, Heartache and Silence Over AIDS >> >> by Karen Ocamb on February 6, 2011 | 12:12 PM >> >> >> >> Reagan AIDSgate poster via ACT UP New York >> >> America is gushing Sunday over former President Ronald Reagan in >> >> recognition of what would have been his 100th birthday. Produced by >> >> Reagan groupies, the long-weekend celebrations at the newly primped >> >> Reagan Library and Museum in Simi Valley are glitzy and reverent >> >> evocations of an imagined man. >> >> >> >> In this white-washed version of history, Reagan, not Soviet Prime >> >> Minister Mikhail Gorbachev (remember “glasnost,” “perestroika,” and >> >> the impact of Levis, Coke and “Dynasty”?) is credited with “tearing >> >> down” the Berlin Wall; the trillion dollars in debt Reagan wracked up >> >> during his “conservative” presidency is ignored; “supply-side” or >> >> “trickle-down” economics” still works, even though theory-originator >> >> David Stockman says it doesn’t; the Reagan-approved secret Iran-Contra >> >> scandal was patriotic, not subversive; and he is still the “Great >> >> Communicator” – who conned working-class “Reagan Democrats” while >> >> catering to the rich, creating a huge surge in homelessness, reveling >> >> in unchecked deregulation and extolling union-busting with the mass >> >> firing of the over-worked, striking PATCO flight controllers – even >> >> before there were trained replacements. >> >> >> >> After the depraved Vietnam War, the perennial dark and disgraced >> >> Richard Nixon, the short-term Gerry Ford and the confusing Jimmy >> >> Carter (who orchestrated the Middle East Peace talks but couldn’t free >> >> the Iran hostages or prevent long gas lines) – Reagan, the “ah-shucks” >> >> bad B-movie actor (Bedtime for Bonzo), huckstered his scripted >> >> “vision” of “Morning in America” viewed from some exceptional shiny >> >> city on the hill. Reagan was the imaged Mount Rushmore president, the >> >> right wing conservatives’ longed-for King Arthur who would crush the >> >> Democratic Dream of FDR and the Kennedys and anyone who believed in >> >> social and economic justice promised by the “counter-culture”1960s. >> >> He’d already proven his anti-Communist bona fides appearing in 1947 as >> >> a friendly witness before the House Un-American Activities Committee. >> >> >> >> For LGBT people, Ronald Reagan’s presidency was the far different >> >> “mourning in America.” And unlike Nixon who was forced to resign for >> >> covering up the political Watergate scandal, Reagan didn’t even bother >> >> covering up his cold disdain, his deliberate neglect, his abject >> >> refusal to help gay men stricken in 1981 by a strange new communicable >> >> disease that turned out to be AIDS. But there was no “AIDSgate” for >> >> Reagan; the White House agreed with the Religious Right that gays >> >> deserved what they got – they deserved to die. >> >> >> >> Rev. Jerry Falwell, head of the Moral Majority, said, “AIDS is the >> >> wrath of God upon homosexuals.” Patrick Buchanan, Reagan’s Press >> >> Secretary, said AIDS was “nature’s revenge on gay men.” Antigay Gary >> >> Bauer, Reagan’s domestic policy advisor, kept Surgeon General C. >> >> Everett Koop (selected because he was an anti-abortion Christian >> >> fundamentalist) away from Reagan: >> >> >> >> ”[In 1986] President Reagan asked the surgeon general to prepare a >> >> report on AIDS as the United States confirmed its ten-thousandth case. >> >> Leaders of the evangelical movement did not want Koop to write the >> >> report, nor did senior White House staffers who shared Koop’s >> >> evangelical convictions. As Dr. Koop related to me, “Gary Bauer >> >> [Reagan's chief advisor on domestic policy] … was my nemesis in >> >> Washington because he kept me from the president. He kept me from the >> >> cabinet and he set up a wall of enmity between me and most of the >> >> people that surrounded Reagan because he believed that anybody who had >> >> AIDS ought to die with it. That was God’s punishment for them.” >> >> >> >> In his extraordinary book And The Band Played On about the early >> >> history of the AIDS epidemic, gay journalist Randy Shilts, who later >> >> died of AIDS, wrote that two events dramatically changed the course of >> >> AIDS in America. The first was the announcement that closeted gay >> >> movie star Rock Hudson had AIDS and the second was the report by Koop. >> >> >> >> In an interview with me for the 25 anniversary of the June 5, 1981 CDC >> >> report of six gay men with what turned out >> >> >> >> Rock Hudson - publicity photo >> >> to be AIDS, Hudson’s publicist Dale Olson said Reagan called his >> >> longtime friend in July 1985 when Hudson was in a Paris hospital >> >> desperately looking for a cure for AIDS. Nonetheless, the “Great >> >> Communicator” remained silent. It’s not as if Reagan was unaware of >> >> AIDS by then: on April 23, 1984, the CDC had reported 4,177 case and >> >> 1,807 deaths – something that came to the attention of the National >> >> Democratic Convention when a candlelight vigil of more than 100,000 >> >> people marched from the Castro to Moscone Center. >> >> >> >> California Rep. Henry Waxman, who held the first congressional hearing >> >> on the disease at the Gay and Lesbian Community Services Center in Los >> >> Angeles in 1983, wrote Washington Post in late 1985: >> >> >> >> “It is surprising that the president could remain silent as 6,000 >> >> Americans died, that he could fail to acknowledge the epidemic’s >> >> existence. Perhaps his staff felt he had to, since many of his New >> >> Right supporters have raised money by campaigning against >> >> homosexuals.” >> >> >> >> Reagan finally mentioned the word “AIDS” in October 1986 and was >> >> virtually forced to deliver his first major speech on AIDS on May 31, >> >> 1987 on the eve of the Third International Conference on AIDS in >> >> Washington. He was the invited by Elizabeth Taylor to speak at a >> >> fundraiser for the American Foundation for AIDS Research, which Hudson >> >> helped start with a $250,000 grant given to Taylor. (Here’s a link to >> >> Reagan’s entire speech.) Outside the tented-event were protesters and >> >> yet another candlelight vigil. >> >> >> >> Shilts wrote about Reagan’s 20-minute speech: >> >> >> >> “Reagan’s program, of course, would do very little to actually stop >> >> the spread of AIDS. Though testing heterosexuals at marriage license >> >> bureaus created the illusion of action, very few of thse people were >> >> infected with the virus and very few lives would be saved. But then >> >> saving lives had never been a priority of the Reagan administration. >> >> Reagan’s speech was not meant to serve the public health; it was a >> >> political solution to a political problem. The words created a stance >> >> that was politically comfortable for the president and his adherents; >> >> it was also a stance that killed people. Already, some said that >> >> Ronald Reagan would be remembered in history books for one thing >> >> beyond all else: He was the man who had let AIDS rage through America, >> >> the leader of the government that when challenged to action had placed >> >> politics above the health of the American people.” >> >> >> >> And not once did Ronald Reagan utter the word “gay.” >> >> >> >> Shilts: >> >> >> >> “By the time President Reagan had delivered his first speech on the >> >> epidemic, of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, 36,058 Americans had >> >> been diagnosed with the disease; 20, 849 had died.” >> >> >> >> Photo from WebMD's history of AIDS >> >> -www.webmd.com/hiv-aids/slideshow-aids-retrospective >> >> >> >> On the USAID website, the statistics read: >> >> >> >> “In 2009, 33.3 million people around the world were living with >> >> HIV/AIDS. More than 60 million people have been infected with HIV >> >> since the pandemic began. AIDS is the leading cause of death in >> >> Sub-Saharan Africa, and the fourth leading cause of death >> >> globally…..Almost 5,000 people die every day due to AIDS. AIDS caused >> >> 1.8 million deaths in 2009. An estimated 25 million people have died >> >> from HIV-related causes since the beginning of the pandemic….There >> >> were 2.6 million new HIV infections in 2009, or almost 7,200 people >> >> per day.” >> >> >> >> The terrible irony for LGBT people is that in the very beginning of >> >> the epidemic there was hope that Ronald Reagan would DO something. >> >> There was precedent for the government acting quickly to stem a public >> >> health crisis. In 1976, just five years earlier, the government rushed >> >> to stop an outbreak of Legionnaires disease at an American Legion >> >> convention in Philadelphia. >> >> >> >> (Corrected) And perhaps even more importantly, in 1978, as former >> >> governor of California, Reagan publicly opposed the Briggs Initiative >> >> – the antigay measure proposed by associates of Rev. Jerry Falwell and >> >> Anita Bryant. Opposition by the hugely popular governor helped >> >> significantly in the measure’s defeat. As a result, Reagan received >> >> gay support in his presidential bid against Jimmy Carter in 1980, as >> >> well as the more effective Religious Right. >> >> >> >> But once in office, Reagan turned his back on the gay friends and >> >> staff he and his wife Nancy had known for years. >> >> >> >> Most historians and political pundits will look at the ripple effect >> >> Reagan’s two terms in office – from 1981-1989 – continues to have on >> >> American politics. But for many LGBTs, myself included, I cannot hear >> >> the man’s name without thinking of so many other names now effectively >> >> wiped from the collective memory – names like Michael Callen and Paul >> >> Monette and Connie Norman and Wayne Karr. So many names – and with >> >> each name, memories of joy and rage and a kind of spirituality in >> >> confronting death with dignity – in spite of the government’s >> >> disgusting deliberate neglect. >> >> >> >> Names Project AIDS Quilt - via WebMD >> >> -www.webmd.com/hiv-aids/slideshow-aids-retrospective >> >> >> >> Former President Ronald Reagan died on June 5, 2004 – 23 years to the >> >> day when the CDC’s first report on AIDS appeared. Reagan had >> >> apparently been living in seclusion with Alzheimer’s Disease — the >> >> progressive disease that causes loss of memory and mental abilities. >> >> People gushed for a week remembering the “Great Communicator” who was >> >> entombed at his grand presidential library and museum like a political >> >> Elvis: Simi Valley as the political Graceland. There his groupies >> >> gather again, while those of us who remember his legacy of horror, >> >> neglect and death still struggle with an un-ending heartbreak of what >> >> might have been had our government cared and our friends not ... >> >> >> >> read more » >> > >> > -- >> > Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. >> > For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum >> > >> > * Visit our other community at >> > http://www.PoliticalForum.com/<http://www.politicalforum.com/> >> > * It's active and moderated. Register and vote in our polls. >> > * Read the latest breaking news, and more. >> >> >> -- >> Together, we can change the world, one mind at a time. >> Have a great day, >> Tommy >> >> -- >> Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. >> For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum >> >> * Visit our other community at >> http://www.PoliticalForum.com/<http://www.politicalforum.com/> >> * It's active and moderated. Register and vote in our polls. >> * Read the latest breaking news, and more. >> > > -- > Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. > For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum > > * Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/ > * It's active and moderated. Register and vote in our polls. > * Read the latest breaking news, and more. -- Mark M. Kahle H. -- Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum * Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/ * It's active and moderated. Register and vote in our polls. * Read the latest breaking news, and more.
