World AIDS day: Statement by Carol Moseley Braun

[gottaB]

CAROL MOSELEY BRAUN CALLS FOR COMPREHENSIVE,
COMMONSENSE AND COMPASSIONATE AIDS POLICIES

CHICAGO, IL --"We have the moral obligation to stop the AIDS pandemic. Now we must summon the political will to do it."

The United States must lead the worldwide war on AIDS, which afflicts 40 million and kills more than 8000 people each day.

We cannot credibly lead the world in the fight against AIDS again until we do better here at home. At a time when the HIV infection rates in the U.S. are on the rise - especially among women of color and young people, the Bush administration continues to promote abstinence-only reproductive health education programs that do not talk about the importance of safer-sex precautions for those who are sexually active. That just doesn't make sense.

We must implement a comprehensive, commonsense and compassionate approach to HIV/AIDS here at home and around the world. We must make drug therapies and medical treatments available to those infected with HIV/AIDS. And we must make uncensored AIDS education available to everyone.

Until we genuinely include our friends and allies in our foreign policy considerations, we will be forced to confront global issues alone. And millions of women, men and children will continue to perish from AIDS. The Bush Administration committed $15 billion over five years to the Global Fund (over a year ago). We must insist that the funding in real dollars be made available immediately, and that the President be held to his word. We are beyond conversation and speeches about AIDS. We require commitment and action.

We have the moral obligation to stop the AIDS pandemic. Now we must summon the political will to do it.

Notice that next to the last paragraph. Braun has made this kind of argument before in criticizing Bushco's foreign policy. Poverty, disease, ignorance, environmental degradation: These are real problems that require international solutions. I've not quite heard it coming from other campaigns. Maybe it's just too obvious? Probabaly all the Dems agree that it would be better not to alienate our allies and thumb our noses at the UN. The global fight against HIV/AIDS is one chief reason for that.

Anyhow, it's good to keep things in perspective. Sometimes we need to reminded of what it is we're fighting for.

[gottaB]

1. kick for morning people

:kick:

[in_cog_ni_to]

2. I love CMB!

The Bush Administration committed $15 billion over five years to the Global Fund (over a year ago).

I knew the shrub was lying the minute he made that statement in the SOTU address. He had no intentions of honoring that committment and unfortunately, CMB's statement will fall the deaf ears of this administration. They just don't CARE!

Thanks for the post.

[gottaB]

3. I just read part of a BBC interview with Kofi Annan

where he was talking about intrasangence of some African leaders regarding condoms, and he said he was now "talking to people over the heads of the governments."

link to the beeb story

I also read Jesse Jackson's piece in yesterday's Sun Times, in which he lambasted Bushco's handling of HIV/AIDS. He wrote, "Too bad the virus doesn't wear a uniform or brandish a gun. Then the threat it poses might be able to command proper attention in Washington."

It really boggles the mind that people would get all worked up about vague sorts of threats to their security while failing to take even rudimentary precautions against clear and present dangers. The fear of condoms is perfectly emblematic of that kind of backward thinking.

Whether the shrub is uncaring, ignorant, in the grips of a millenial delusion, or some combination of the three, it hardly matters. We citizens need to keep up the pressure, keep talking about condoms, keep up the sanity, and vote that clown out of office.

The Jackson editorial on AIDS