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Originally Posted by Aegis this was an event in which Harper should have been there, if only to give the appearance of support from the Canadian government. |
Although considering how the Canadian government has reneged on a number of commitments to AIDS...
appearance is all it would have been.
To me, Harper's refusal to attend the conference is closely related to the fact that he is pandering to his Christian fundamentalist support base, and figures that anyone concerned about HIV/AIDS wouldn't vote for him anyway. IMO, this is a miscalculation on his part, there are many moderate Tories who are disgusted by the direction in which he has steered the party.
EDIT: lol Aegis, just saw your second post!
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Originally Posted by Dowaco It seems to me that this is about AIDS having a special place in the minds of some, not about Mr. Harper's appearence scheduling. AIDS is a sexually transmitted disease that kills people. The only reason it is a political football is that it is linked with homosexuality. |
Firstly, I don't think you need to be Canadian to comment on this issue
Dottie has already summarised much of what I might have said in response to your post. But to add to that, HIV/AIDS is *not* a homosexual disease. In many regions, Africa in particular, women are especially at risk, and the infection rate amongst heterosexual men and women is rising rapidly everywhere in the world.
Moreover, as I'm sure you already know, HIV is also transmitted through shared needles and blood transfusions.
If you sever that link, it becomes a health issue just like smoking and cancer, or wearing your seat belt.
And that, IMO, lies at the crux of the problem. AIDS is not simply a health issue precisely because it is largely transmitted through sex, and thus carries with it considerable stigma. This is especially true in nearly all regions of Africa, where it is still commonplace to not acknowledge the disease for what it is.
If only AIDS were, in fact, soley viewed as something like cancer. Were that the case, we'd be making significant strides in the right direction.