Anybody watching Primetime Live tonight? (AIDS In Black America)

[minkyboodle]

It is sobering stuff. I am ashamed to admit I didn't realize
how bad the epidemic had gotten here within our own country in
the African American community (ie almost 70 percent of all newly
diagnosed HIV-Positive women in america are black women). Its
only 15 minutes in but so far its been well done and damning to
both the current penal system (no condoms in prison allowed? that
blew my mind) and HIV tests in prison are voluntary so that many
inmates leave prison without knowing they have become HIV positive.
It just went over the success and then shutdown of the needle
exchange program in cities like Baltimore (Newt was in his prime
1994 asshole mode). Anyway long ways to go thought some DU'ers
might like to tune it. I plan on watching the rest.
http://abcnews.go.com/Primetime/story?id=2346857&page=1

[Mr_Spock]

1. Yes.

I think a lot of us are being educated on this issue tonight...

[pooja]

2. prison and condoms--yeah right!!! it is really bad...but another

hidden truth in america... richest country in the world.

[MadMaddie]

3. What is important to note is that

These are "Heterosexual Black Women". The women are getting infected by men that have been in prison. But also by men who are bi-sexual (won't say they are gay) and by Husbands who cheat and won't admit the infidelity and bring it home.


<snip>
ie almost 70 percent of all newly
diagnosed HIV-Positive women in america are black women).
<snip>

[FreeState]

4. And Gay men too

There are a lot of black gay men who are "on the down low" and do not use condoms. Most of these men have wives even though they are gay. Kinda like in Brokeback Mountain - they are not bisexual, just married to women because that is part of the culture.

[MadMaddie]

5. Good point....In the black community it is very difficult to be out

and this is going to have to change if we are going to stop this daisies from spreading.

[Alacrat]

6. I wonder if a prisoner could sue the state?

If I were a prisoner and went to prison HIV neg, was raped, and contracted HIV, I would want someone to pay and I mean pay out their ass, no pun intended. I guess you wouldn't expect an HIV pos inmate, who is hell bent on raping another, to bother wearing a condom. I know all prison sex isn't rape, and in those cases protection should be allowed. I guess the government is to dumb to know it happens, or they don't care, which is more likely the case. Even though these are prisoners, they have the right to be protected and safe while in prison. I have little sympathy for rapist, murders, and child molesters, but they aren't the only ones in prison. This country has such screwed up drug laws, the prisons are full of otherwise good people who got caught up in bad stuff, and their sentences go way beyond repaying society. Sorry for the rant, I guess that part is for another thread, but it does have relevancy here.

[minkyboodle]

7. huge relevancy

the post war-on-drugs prison system in America is
heavily tied up in this issue as well as so many others
that plague us today. 4x the prisoners since 1980,
more percentage of the population locked up than in the
former Soviet Russia, these are mind blowing things that
are unfortunately never addressed in our political debates.
They need to be addressed NOW. (along with inequality of wealth education etc etc
IMO the infant mortality rates among black americans
says all you need to know about the state of race and
equality in america today).

[Alacrat]

8. Mandatory sentences

also are, or were, race based. The sentences for possession of crack( used mostly by poor blacks) vs powder coke (rich whites) were extremely biased. I know there was a push for change in mandatory sentences, to end the bias, I don't know what the outcome was. The drug culture has changed over the years. Crack, once used mainly by poor blacks, is now a suburban problem. Meth is mainly a poor white problem, but that is changing every day, it's use has spread to the burbs, and to blacks. The one that kills me, and it isn't racially biased, the sentences for narcotics, ie. pills, lortab, percadan. The sentences are mandatory, and people are charged per pill. There was a story in the paper about a girl who was busted in a sting for selling dalaudid, she sold three pills, and was sentenced 10 years per pill. She had no previous record, and the judge didn't want to do it, but he had to because of mandated sentences. I had a friend, a fellow firefighter, who hurt his back on the job. He was given pain medication over a period of months, he became addicted. His doctor cut him off, so he bought them on the street, and was busted for possession. He is awaiting trial, I hope some how the judge can find a way to help him, and not send him to jail, this man is not a criminal. The prisons are full of people just like him, they go to jail, detox while there, return to somewhat normal, regret the hell out of their actions, but because politicians want to show everyone how tough they are on crime, the people get sent away. I also find it repulsive limbaugh, or a senator, congressman's kid, etc.. can get busted and nothing comes of it. Again sorry for the rant, I get mad thinking of my friend, and all the others that have been victims of the war on drugs.

[Yupster]

9. Prison rape is one of our country's discraces

right now.

With camera technology there's no excuse for it. There are organizations trying to do something about it, but even on DU, you'll see comments to the efect of I hope that guy likes it when he gets gang raped in prison. People actually laugh about it.

[Alacrat]

10. You are correct

There is no excuse for it, and the authorities should be held accountable. As for people on DU saying they hope someone gets ass raped, those people should be ashamed of themselves, DU's members should have more class than that. I do however agree with them when it comes to rapist, and child molesters, I have no sympathy for them, if they did that to someone else, it serves them right. I've always heard convicts have a code, when it comes to child molesters, they really stick it to them.