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From: MACGYVER%INDYCMS.BITNET@mvs.oac.ucla.edu (MacGyver)
Newsgroups: sci.med.aids
Subject: Re: (2926) AIDS protest last night
Message-ID: <1991Jan25.030641.27898@cs.ucla.edu>
Date: 25 Jan 91 01:46:08 GMT
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On Thu, 24 Jan 91 14:57:20 pst Support Account for SCI.MED.AIDS said:
>
>I would consider myself in support of the effort to fight AIDS, get more
>public awareness, gain governmental support for AIDS research and for the
>decent and fair treatment of AIDS or HIV+ patients. But I must say that
>last night's protests dissappointed me. AIDS is not the only killer in this
>world and NOT the only important issue for our country to focus on. I think
>AIDS lobbyists or any lobbyist begin to lose credibility when they demonstrate
>such a completely narrow, self centered view based on their cause. Where is
>ACT UP's concern for the importance of innocent people dying in this war with

I think the easiest way to understand it is from the perspective of those
conducting the protests, violent or not.  They are the rantings and ravings
of scared people, so common sense doesn't always seem to be as high a priority.
I'm not attempting to call anyone like that a lunatic, just pointing out that
under severe stress people do strange things.

>What exactly was the AIDS supporters' protest about? What in particular was
>the gripe? Perhaps I missed something.

The gripe was that the war was receiving too much airtime on the news and
while people were dying of AIDS, the media was ignoring them.

One issue that ACT-UP, et alia have to consider is this virus may be
like the old thought of the "mythical man-month:  No matter how many people
are assigned to the task, it still takes nine months to have a baby."
Because of what this fiendish critter does, it may take twenty or twenty-
five years to completely decipher it and deactivate it, if then.  Throwing
ten times as much money at it as is currently expended doesn't mean it'll
take any less time.

Also, considering that science isn't as high a priority in the school systems,
the talent coming up through the ranks to work on this thing may not be
as fully utilized as it could be.  In addition to sustaining the lives of
those stricken, we have to consider what we intend to do long-term if a
solution does not immediately present itself.