News and Current Events - 2012

[Tony_]

There was no need to mention your state of address as I've never considered you stupid.   That said, however, government agencies - ever hear of the Centers for Disease Control? - WERE talking about it, because it was nationwide frontpage news for seven years and the head shitbird inexcusably and unconscionably said and did nothing.  What keeps it from being just typical Republican hatred of homos was the continually accumulating death toll.  Money says your sarcasm would be silent if the dead and dying were women hit by a singularly female plague, but then, of course, they wouldn't have been fags, so there would be no ignoring the deaths.  It's absolutely astounding that you're defending a murderer because you like a politician (or his party), especially when you must understand that most of the men in this forum know far too many people who can't call you to task on this because they're dead.

 Fofol, have bolded two sentences from what is an understandably passionate post.  The first I entirely agree with, and also, I believe Reagan's silence may have been due to the always squashed stories about his son being gay. As well as his being a creep. The second statement is nothing I would ever ascribe to Doodler.  Ever.
 As far as references to the gay community's response to the crisis, I have lived in hope and faith that what I saw and heard in Norfolk, was local only.  Here, an elite clique, whom I had met during one of my ventures into supporting gay rights, were in control of the response (including posters in the bars, and news stories), and were privately agog with the default prospect that the epidemic would be the means for a triumph, in time, for their advanced agenda.

  I had nothing against their agenda, but the words they used, casually accepting a huge death toll as favorable, sent me packing away.  The mutual hate has lasted even until now, even though I have had nothing to do with them.  I HAVE to believe this grotesque approach was local, only.  As it happened, they escaped the disease, as they were upper middle-class and educated.  The death toll, here, among the uneducated, was very high.

[morrobay]

There was no need to mention your state of address as I've never considered you stupid.   That said, however, government agencies - ever hear of the Centers for Disease Control? - WERE talking about it, because it was nationwide frontpage news for seven years and the head shitbird inexcusably and unconscionably said and did nothing.  What keeps it from being just typical Republican hatred of homos was the continually accumulating death toll.  Money says your sarcasm would be silent if the dead and dying were women hit by a singularly female plague, but then, of course, they wouldn't have been fags, so there would be no ignoring the deaths.  It's absolutely astounding that you're defending a murderer because you like a politician (or his party), especially when you must understand that most of the men in this forum know far too many people who can't call you to task on this because they're dead.

Disagree.  Men in politics don't care any more about women than they do about gays, they could give a damn....it's just that more women vote, so they have to pretend they care...

"If women were the only voters, the Democrats would win in a landslide every time. If men were the only voters, the GOP would be the left-wing party."

I gotta stop watching west wing reruns....

[michaelflanagansf]

If you want a really clear example of why I am not involved in this site any longer, idiocy of the sort being bandied about here should make it abundantly clear.

Reagan CUT the budgets for Centers for Disease Control by 25% in the early 80s, just as the disease was spreading:

http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/06/this_was_not_a_problem_that_money_could

Given the basic science work that was necessary to research the disease, this was exactly the place where money should have been spent.

Although they still managed to find money to find the virus.  So that 'innocent' people could be spared the indignity of sharing a disease that those dirty, dirty people had:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/04/23/501378/-Today-in-History-April-23-1984

He said nothing publicly about the epidemic until 1987.  He surrounded himself with people like Patrick Buchannan, who in 1983 had a column which said:

“The poor homosexuals—they have declared war upon nature, and now nature is extracting an awful retribution.”

The punishment that Reagan visited upon him for being hateful while people were dying miserably?  He made him the White House Communications director from 1985 to 1987.  Because clearly, this was the sort of person you wanted speaking for you.

I could go on.  But ACT-UP New York has done a much better job:

http://www.actupny.org/reports/reagan.html

As far as when the gay community became involved in fighting AIDS, I'll admit, I was a little late.  I started in October 1985 (still two years before Reagan spoke about it).  By this time the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence had already put out their pamphlet 'Can We Talk' (in 1982).  In 1981 the first weekly support group for people with KS had been started by the Shanti Project.  In December 1981 Bobbi Campbell began publishing articles in the local gay paper, the Sentinel, on what was then called 'gay cancer.'  And in 1984 Mobilization Against AIDS held their first march in San Francisco (which I attended).

Here are a few timelines with information:

http://www.aidsaction.org/oldsite/timeline/timeline_80-04_printable.htm

http://www.npr.org/programs/specials/aids/timeline.html

http://www.oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/kt5779r0f9/

This is not to say that everyone in the Reagan administration wanted to keep quiet on AIDS.  Dr. C. Everett Koop, the surgeon general at the time, wanted to address the epidemic and because of interdepartmental squabbles in the administration was not allowed to:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2004/06/08/EDG777163F1.DTL

It took until 1986 for the Reagan administration to authorize a surgeon general's report on AIDS.  In 1988 the mailing was done.  Six years after a bunch of guys dressed up as nuns had prepared their pamphlet recommending people (and generally that is understood to include gay men) engage in safe sex behavior:

http://profiles.nlm.nih.gov/ps/retrieve/Narrative/QQ/p-nid/87

Much was made of Reagan's Christian moral values throughout his administration.  I guess he missed this one:

“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me."   Matthew 25:41-43

I'd add a smiley face for being gobsmacked at callousness, hatefulness and coldness - but there isn't one.

[Tony_]

 So, NYC has a new hero, the Potato Chip Muncher.  It was on the network news last night.  Tried to find a YouTube link, but no luck.

 What did he do?  There was a big shoving match between a man and a woman on the subway, and he just casually backed up between them, paying the dispute no mind.  It was deliberate and worked.  Absurdity, then, is a legitimate method in the arsenal for peace.

Now, he says they were Pringles, but it looked like nachos to me.  Anyway, it won't help the slaughter in the Middle East, but it is a hope for the littler disputes, I hope.  Especially when they are from misunderstandings.  Whatever it was, that he did, I loved it   !!!!!

[Tony_]

.....Much was made of Reagan's Christian moral values throughout his administration.  I guess he missed this one:

“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me."   Matthew 25:41-43

  That was a massively documented post, above, and I think it holds up.  The part I quoted will hold up longer, IMO. There WAS no excuse.

[fofol]

If you want a really clear example of why I am not involved in this site any longer, idiocy of the sort being bandied about here should make it abundantly clear.

Reagan CUT the budgets for Centers for Disease Control by 25% in the early 80s, just as the disease was spreading:

http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/06/this_was_not_a_problem_that_money_could

Given the basic science work that was necessary to research the disease, this was exactly the place where money should have been spent.

Although they still managed to find money to find the virus.  So that 'innocent' people could be spared the indignity of sharing a disease that those dirty, dirty people had:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/04/23/501378/-Today-in-History-April-23-1984

He said nothing publicly about the epidemic until 1987.  He surrounded himself with people like Patrick Buchannan, who in 1983 had a column which said:

“The poor homosexuals—they have declared war upon nature, and now nature is extracting an awful retribution.”

The punishment that Reagan visited upon him for being hateful while people were dying miserably?  He made him the White House Communications director from 1985 to 1987.  Because clearly, this was the sort of person you wanted speaking for you.

I could go on.  But ACT-UP New York has done a much better job:

http://www.actupny.org/reports/reagan.html

As far as when the gay community became involved in fighting AIDS, I'll admit, I was a little late.  I started in October 1985 (still two years before Reagan spoke about it).  By this time the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence had already put out their pamphlet 'Can We Talk' (in 1982).  In 1981 the first weekly support group for people with KS had been started by the Shanti Project.  In December 1981 Bobbi Campbell began publishing articles in the local gay paper, the Sentinel, on what was then called 'gay cancer.'  And in 1984 Mobilization Against AIDS held their first march in San Francisco (which I attended).

Here are a few timelines with information:

http://www.aidsaction.org/oldsite/timeline/timeline_80-04_printable.htm

http://www.npr.org/programs/specials/aids/timeline.html

http://www.oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/kt5779r0f9/

This is not to say that everyone in the Reagan administration wanted to keep quiet on AIDS.  Dr. C. Everett Koop, the surgeon general at the time, wanted to address the epidemic and because of interdepartmental squabbles in the administration was not allowed to:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2004/06/08/EDG777163F1.DTL

It took until 1986 for the Reagan administration to authorize a surgeon general's report on AIDS.  In 1988 the mailing was done.  Six years after a bunch of guys dressed up as nuns had prepared their pamphlet recommending people (and generally that is understood to include gay men) engage in safe sex behavior:

http://profiles.nlm.nih.gov/ps/retrieve/Narrative/QQ/p-nid/87

Much was made of Reagan's Christian moral values throughout his administration.  I guess he missed this one:

“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me."   Matthew 25:41-43

I'd add a smiley face for being gobsmacked at callousness, hatefulness and coldness - but there isn't one.

Thank you for coming back for this.

[kathy]

You are correct. I said this before. The GOP keeps moving to the right and The Dems keep following. Some of the Dems are now what the Republicans were in the 70's. Eisenhower, Ford and perhaps Goldwater would be considered Liberals now a days. Whats wrong with the Dems is that most are to chicken to fight for what they believe in.

Thank you, bbt.   It was so kind of you to post this, since certain Reagan haters are deliberately targeting my prior post. 
I have no intention to lower myself to swearing or insults online in my posts, in contrast to theirs. 

kathy     

[oilgun]

Well, I have to admit that I cheered when I heard someone had taken a shot at Reagan, lol! (Though, I was disappointed that he missed.)

[kathy]

Yes sir, while every other public official and medical professional in the country was screaming about it at the top of their lungs. It's all Reagan's fault.
And since there is no "sarcastic" smiley, I'm telling you I'm being sarcastic.

Hello sherry.  Thank you.

kathy
 

[Tony_]

 The guy on the subway is known as Snackman.  I shoulda done the CNN YouTube clip, as this one is somewhat juvenile.

http://youtu.be/KHoiyKOxslo

Would that we could all solve our problems with nachos !!!!

[fofol]

Disagree.  Men in politics don't care any more about women than they do about gays, they could give a damn....it's just that more women vote, so they have to pretend they care...

"If women were the only voters, the Democrats would win in a landslide every time. If men were the only voters, the GOP would be the left-wing party."

I gotta stop watching west wing reruns....

you gotta stop getting your politics from TV shows

[fofol]

If you want a really clear example of why I am not involved in this site any longer, idiocy of the sort being bandied about here should make it abundantly clear.

Reagan CUT the budgets for Centers for Disease Control by 25% in the early 80s, just as the disease was spreading:

http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/06/this_was_not_a_problem_that_money_could

Given the basic science work that was necessary to research the disease, this was exactly the place where money should have been spent.

Although they still managed to find money to find the virus.  So that 'innocent' people could be spared the indignity of sharing a disease that those dirty, dirty people had:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/04/23/501378/-Today-in-History-April-23-1984

He said nothing publicly about the epidemic until 1987.  He surrounded himself with people like Patrick Buchannan, who in 1983 had a column which said:

“The poor homosexuals—they have declared war upon nature, and now nature is extracting an awful retribution.”

The punishment that Reagan visited upon him for being hateful while people were dying miserably?  He made him the White House Communications director from 1985 to 1987.  Because clearly, this was the sort of person you wanted speaking for you.

I could go on.  But ACT-UP New York has done a much better job:

http://www.actupny.org/reports/reagan.html

As far as when the gay community became involved in fighting AIDS, I'll admit, I was a little late.  I started in October 1985 (still two years before Reagan spoke about it).  By this time the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence had already put out their pamphlet 'Can We Talk' (in 1982).  In 1981 the first weekly support group for people with KS had been started by the Shanti Project.  In December 1981 Bobbi Campbell began publishing articles in the local gay paper, the Sentinel, on what was then called 'gay cancer.'  And in 1984 Mobilization Against AIDS held their first march in San Francisco (which I attended).

Here are a few timelines with information:

http://www.aidsaction.org/oldsite/timeline/timeline_80-04_printable.htm

http://www.npr.org/programs/specials/aids/timeline.html

http://www.oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/kt5779r0f9/

This is not to say that everyone in the Reagan administration wanted to keep quiet on AIDS.  Dr. C. Everett Koop, the surgeon general at the time, wanted to address the epidemic and because of interdepartmental squabbles in the administration was not allowed to:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2004/06/08/EDG777163F1.DTL

It took until 1986 for the Reagan administration to authorize a surgeon general's report on AIDS.  In 1988 the mailing was done.  Six years after a bunch of guys dressed up as nuns had prepared their pamphlet recommending people (and generally that is understood to include gay men) engage in safe sex behavior:

http://profiles.nlm.nih.gov/ps/retrieve/Narrative/QQ/p-nid/87

Much was made of Reagan's Christian moral values throughout his administration.  I guess he missed this one:

“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me."   Matthew 25:41-43

I'd add a smiley face for being gobsmacked at callousness, hatefulness and coldness - but there isn't one.

Thank you for this.

[fofol]

Well, I have to admit that I cheered when I heard someone had taken a shot at Reagan, lol! (Though, I was disappointed that he missed.)

tell us what was missed

[brokebacktom]

Thank you, bbt.   It was so kind of you to post this, since certain Reagan haters are deliberately targeting my prior post. 
I have no intention to lower myself to swearing or insults online in my posts, in contrast to theirs. 

kathy     

No problem. But I am sill NOT a fan of Reagan. I thought he was a fraud after I donated my time to his election campaign in 1984. After, I thought the whole GOP as frauds. But Reagan could not have done what he done without some help from the Dems. They controlled the house and enough of them voted for his tax cuts and his tax increases, which most hit the working class more. And after Tip O'Neil leaving, the Dems lost their backbone.

[fofol]

When Ronnie Raygun was Governor of California, he personally raised tuition at the then-incredible California University system from $50 to $500 per quarter.  This made higher education a political tactic rather than a program to create intelligent American workers: intelligent American workers want too much money compared to say, oh, I don't know Chinese slave labor working for 17 cents an hour...  go figure - please

Speaking of which, there is Big News on the Chinese human rights front:  China has recently stated that it will no longer execute prisoners on demand according to the needs of the human organ market!  A small step, but a step.

Sad news for the US though - there is still no available correction for stupidity.