test will fuel
The United States may soon have its own class of lepers
or “untouchables.”
A Pentagon official announced Friday that in addition
to testing military recruits for AIDS, the Defense Department
will screen all 2.1 million military personnel for exposure to
the virus.
Military personnel determined to have the disease will be
given medical treatment, counseling and a discharge under
honorable conditions. This procedure is acceptable. AIDS is
incurable and at present someone with AIDS can be ex
pected to become progressively ill and die.
But those who test positive for AIDS antibodies in their
blood but show no symptoms of the virus, will also be singl
ed out for special treatment by the military. Those simply
carrying the antibodies will be monitored under a medical
program, and will have limited assignments to be determin
ed by the armed forces.
discriminate
A person exposed to the AIDb virus may develop an
tibodies, but it is estimated that only 5 percent to 20 percent
will ever actually contract the disease. Therefore, the policy
will needlessly discriminate against possible thousands of
military employees who carry the antibody but will probably
never develop the disorder. -
It appears that officials are concerned with either
transmission of the disease through casual contact or with
ferreting homosexuals, the primary carriers of the virus, out
of the armed forces. Officials claim the procedure is
necessary in case military personnel need to donate blood on
short notice in a terrorist or combat situation, or if they have
to be deployed to another country, in which case the
military would have to risk a soldier becoming ill while on
an important mission.
But these reasons hardly justify testing all 2.1 million
personnel for AIDS, and completely fail to justify the special
treatment of those who simply carry the antibody. For ter
rorist or combat activity, why aren’t efforts focused on in
creasing the blood supply where these situations are likely
to occur, or testing those particularly at risk to be involved
in such situations? And as Jeff Levi, the political director of
the National Gay Task Force, asked, why not test just those
going overseas? The expense of these efforts wouldn’t com
pare to that of testing every employee.
The military insists that the new policy is not an attempt
to isolate homosexuals, who are barred from serving in the
armed forces. But because the Defense Department adopted
the policy against the recommendations of the its own
medical advisory board, which concluded that the policy
could not be justified on the basis of medical considerations,
their intentions remain suspicious.
Even if this is not the military’s primary intention,
records will have to be kept in order to monitor the health
and assignments of people carrying AIDS antibodies. Who
will be able to conclusively prove that the military will not
abuse the information to discriminate against personnel in
innumerable, unseen ways, in addition to limiting their
capacity up front? Also, these same people may face
discrimination in the public sector if their records become
available outside the military.
In addition, even though no evidence exists to suggest
that the virus can be transmitted through casual contact,
many people are not convinced. Due to the credibility
associated with the military, which is the nation’s largest
employer, the policy could add to the panic and hysteria
already associated with the disease. If the military deems
that AIDS victims, and those exposed to the virus, pose a
health risk to others simply through casual contact, many
more Americans are apt to agree.
Also, the policy could pave the way for other agencies
and businesses to rationalize testing for antibodies before
hiring, promoting or insuring AIDS victims or antibody car
riers. AIDS victims and even those who may never develop
the disease may find themselves the subjects of wide-scale
discrimination.
The policy will not become official until the exact pro
cedure for those who just carry the antibody is determined,
and until Defense Secretary Casper Weinberger gives his
final approval. We sincerely hope that the procedure is
reconsidered.
Pass 2
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JHT ^ NATURE
Letters
It's not hinny
It is unfortunate that the
distribution of comic strips has
become dominated by a few
monolithic organizations solely
interested in preserving and in*
creasing their wealth and in
fluence at the expense of the ar
tists and readers who were
originally responsible for the
existence of these organiza
tions, The concept of the syn
dicate has reached the point
where it ultimately serves no
one's real interests.
Richard Wright
Eugene
Manipulators
This letter is in regards to the
commentary (ODE, Oct. 14) on
animal experimentation by Pro
fessor Marrocco.
I will not question his point
that animal experimentation is
necessary for the advance of
science but rather will focus on
what it means to have a science
in which it is necessary to
violate the rights of animals or
other living beings in order to
progress its cause.
Does such a science truly
reveal the workings of nature or
does it merely reveal the work
ings of a particularly demented
human psychology which sees
the human as master and power
by maiming, disfiguring, and
finally euthanizing non-human
sentient beings as its
methodology does not permit
118e 1 f to be a partici
pant/observer in life but only an
experimental manipulator
whose Intentions in Francis
Bacon's words (one of the
founders of science) are to vex
or torture nature so that it
reveals its secrets Perhaps
science itself is not ethically
neutral, as Is often maintained,
or ethically positive, as Is often
hoped for. but is in its very
methodology, ethically
negative. 1 do not mean to sug
gest that rationality is out of
place in life, rather there is
something irrational about
science itself. Limitations of
space prevent me from ade
quately detailing the supporting
evidence for my position,
although given the opportunity.
I would be happy to give a more
complete exposition.
Clyde Davenport
Asian Studies
Distinctions
1 would like to respond to the
letter from Andrew Beckwith
(ODE. Oct. 16). In this letter,
Mr. Beckwith states that "Most
Palestinian factions do not ac
cept Arafat’s authority." This is
true, however in his two earlier
letters (ODE. Oct. 7,9) he uses
the term Palestinian Liberation
Organization. It must be made
clear that the term PLO is not
synonymous with the term
Palestinian Liberation Faction.
This is important to understand
before one can even begin to
understand the complex situa
tion in the Middle East.
-■
Mr, Beckwith also seems con- .
fused by the differences bet
ween the RQTC and the Israeli
Defense Force, If he truly
believes that Arabs in Israel
would ire eager or willing to
fight in a war against other Arab
countries that border Israel,
maybe he could benefit from
some consultation with friends
of his own,
Mr, Beckwith deserves credit
for his interest and attempt to
keep informed of the situation,
however his distorted ideas and
obvious shortsightedness as to
the reason and need for the
State of Israel seriously impair
his ability to hold a rational
opinion.
Elizabeth Miller
U of O
Swaying power
Chris Green, does the word
"fuck" really give you the
power to sway the conservative
mind?
Lewis Barger
Biology
Mike Magee
Finance/Management
John Hromco
Liberal Arts
Jay Wilber
Journalism
Oregon Daily
Emerald
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The Emerald Is private property. The unlawful removal
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