Beyond horrified. Experimenting on poor kids now? (Okay, not, it appears.)

[elbales]

What the FUCK is this, Nazi Germany? How dare they do this in my country? How dare they?

If it were anything but the BBC, I would say that this had to be a hoax.


ETA: It's not a hoax, but apparently it isn't credible. Thanks to szandara for setting the record straight. That'll teach me not to check out horrific and incredible-sounding stories...

Comments

[dizzyditz.livejournal.com]

Whattt?????????

[elbales]

It's all in the link. Unfortunately.

Welcome to my America...

[kevinvaughn.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry. I'm just not surprised. Note the links below:

http://www.npr.org/programs/morning/features/2002/jul/tuskegee/

http://wovoca.com/controversies-human-experimentation-tuskegee-syphilis.htm

Over 23,000 of the city's children are either in foster care or independent homes run mostly by religious organisations on behalf of the local authorities and almost 99% are black or hispanic.

Some of these kids come from "crack" mothers and have been infected with the HIV virus. For over a decade, this became the target group for experimentation involving cocktails of toxic drugs.

You see from the links that it's happened before and I am not surprised that it has happened again, especially given the current political climate. What political party were the mayors who presided over this atrocity affiliated with? If there is any doubt as to the inherent evil of the Republican Party in even it's most "liberal" manifestation, it should be dispelled by this story.

First, we can't have our votes count and then we become guinea pigs (again) for cruel experimentation. Anyone darker than khaki is fair game when it becomes convenient for the interest of the greater society and the advancement of their wealth.

Welcome to my America.

Re: Welcome to my America...

[elbales]

Oh, I've heard of Tuskeegee... we're just supposed to be "beyond this" by now. It's more comfortable for people to believe that we are. This particular instance was just so blatant, though. Really horrifiying. I will now make lots of noise and post this around. Plus I've passed the link to cleolinda, who has a bazillion readers, and asked her to publicize it.

It's the blogosphere. Word spreads. Unfortunately for those who rely on secrecy.

[beckastar.livejournal.com]

*speechless*

don't panic.

[going-not-gone.livejournal.com]

I've seen information indicating that even the BBC is wrong sometimes, and this is one of them.

Check out: http://respectfulofotters.blogspot.com/

and ascroll down to the entries for December 3 and 4, 2004, which include the following:

In summary, the BBC documentary appears to uncritically embrace the theories of AIDS denialists who believe that all HIV treatments are toxic. Their primary sources of information have no scientific or medical credibility. Neither the BBC piece nor the set of Scheff articles upon which the documentary was apparently based cite any mainstream experts in HIV or human subjects research - no appeal to the FDA, no experts from the National Institutes of Allergies and Infectious Diseases. They're not credible.

And David Rasnick, the doctor they quote? He doesn't believe HIV causes AIDS.

Re: don't panic.

[dizzyditz.livejournal.com]

A ray of sunshine in the form of scientific quackery.

Re: don't panic.

[elbales]

Thank you.

*relieved*

Re: don't panic.

[going-not-gone.livejournal.com]

I've seen this story making the blogosphere rounds before, and it's ugly and upsetting. I was glad to see that it seems to be untrue. I don't know the person who blogs at RespectfulOfOtters, but she appears to know her stuff as far as HIV related issues, and to have done the homework as far as finding out whether it was true.

Re: don't panic.

[elbales]

Blarg. I didn't do my homework, because I trusted the BBC to do its homework. Feh. But I do appreciate your posting here. Thank you again.