THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, July 25, 1995 TAG: 9507250007
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A10 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 40 lines
How can Sen. Jesse Helms singlehandedly hold up the reauthorization of the Ryan White Care Act? People are dying from an incurable, slow, painful disease. Senator Helms justifies his cruel action because of AIDS victims' ``deliberate, disgusting, revolting conduct'' (referring to homsexuals who suffer with AIDS). Even though he feels it is a holy and good thing to allow homosexuals to die unfunded and untreated, it is not just homosexuals who are dying.
Anyone can get AIDS. It is a frightening reality that our beautiful young people are contracting HIV in increasing numbers.
Senator Helms states that, ``We have got to have some common sense.'' What kind of common sense is it to halt funding for the leading cause of death among men and women ages 25 to 44, allowing death to spread even further? What kind of common sense is it to not include in his calculations all the funding spent on diseases in the United States? Senator Helms counted sums spent for research, prevention and housing but did not include sums from Medicaid and Medicare.
The spending on AIDS is presently dwarfed by the spending on heart disease and cancer, which do not spread exponentially in the population the way AIDS does.
Senator Helms has a long history of hatred, bigotry and racism. I can't believe that we Americans allow Senator Helms' outdated ideology and downright evil to control the fate of so many suffering people. I can't believe that a coalition of ``religious groups'' is supporting Senator Helms' action, greatly increasing the suffering of so many sick and dying children and adults.
THOMAS W. KANAUSS JR.
Norfolk, July 6, 1995 by CNB