Here you go.........another example of what Didion writes about:
the current (today's) edition of the Washington Update from the Family Research Council........it's especially horrifying today:
Quote:December 1, 2003
UN on AIDS: 'Live and Let Live'
Today, December 1, is "World AIDS Day," yet too many health policy-makers, both in this country and internationally, remain unwilling to do what is really necessary to conquer this deadly epidemic.
Buried in your Thanksgiving Day newspaper was the latest report on HIV infections from the Centers for Disease Control. New infections among men who have sex with men climbed 17% between 1999 and 2002 - the largest jump of any exposure category. Men who have sex with men constituted 59.7% of the new HIV infections among males - more than ten times the percentage of the U.S. adult male population that has ever engaged in such behavior. Yet despite its deadly consequences and the fact that fighting AIDS has cost taxpayers billions, the U.S. Supreme Court says that criminalizing such behavior is unconstitutional, and the Massachusetts Supreme Court wants to reward it with society's ultimate affirmation - marriage.
Wow! Does anyone else find this to be an amazing statement? What do they expect the Supreme Court to do, interpret the Constitution based on ........what?.............whether it costs money or not?
Quote:It is true that overseas heterosexual transmission plays a larger role in the epidemic. Yet even there, it is clear that behavioral change - abstaining from sex outside of marriage or from illegal drug use - is the key to stopping AIDS. Uganda is an excellent example of how abstinence education has helped stall the AIDS outbreak. But is that the focus of the U.N.-sponsored World AIDS Day activities? No. The U.N.'s theme is "eliminating stigma and discrimination," and the slogan is "Live and Let Live."
What do they do in Uganda to enforce this abstinence-from-sex-outside- of-marriage thing? Again I say, WOW.
Quote:While it is true in one sense that "stigma" surrounding a disease can sometimes prevent people from seeking needed testing and treatment, re-stigmatizing the reckless and immoral behavior that spreads the disease in the first place is the key to prevention.
This is the sickest way of thinking I can image. The idea that stigmatizing behaviors does anything but cause harmful effects is amazing. As if the use of shame and guilt were helpful in controlling behavior without a price so high, it's liabilities exceeding what little, if any benefits, that it's net effect is destructive to any cause. WOW I know I shouldn't be surprised, but seeing it in print like this always shocks me.
Quote:Senate Dems' Tactics on Bush Nominees Exposed
Last month a series of memos showing the coziness between liberal interest groups and Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee were "leaked" to the press.
You mean like the coziness between radical interest groups and the Republicans?
Quote:However, whenever the mainstream press covers the memos they focus on chastising the Republicans for supposedly leaking the information and they ignore the downright nastiness of the Senate Democrats' strategy. These liberal organizations tell Democrats which judicial nominees to go after and vote down, how many hearings to hold, and ground rules for allowing floor votes. The memos even state that the groups persuaded Democrats to delay nominations in order to affect an affirmative action case in Michigan.
The memos go on to detail how to conduct personal attacks on Bush's judicial nominees, at one point writing "most of Bush's nominees are Nazis." In talking about Miguel Estrada, one memo identifies him as "especially dangerous" because "he is Latino." Another memo admonishes Democrats not to make the mistake they made with Clarence Thomas, in allowing Estrada to get on the Federal Courts at all.
My my my, this is shocking, isn't it? It's only fair when the "right" is right.
Quote:Singling out a nominee because of his race is outrageous. While Senate Democrats may celebrate their victory in forcing Mr. Estrada to withdraw his nomination, their actions have tarnished both the U.S. Senate and the Constitution. The American public should not have to put up with these deplorable actions.
And this, I suspect, is a grossly inaccurate characterization of the meaning of the memo. But oh well, whose keeping track of what's fair anymore? Politics is politics...........good night! What
is this world coming to?
