On this World AIDS Day, as I do every day, I remember so many friends, loved ones and people around the world that have died after being infected with HIV and succumbing to AIDS.
In America, despite having the best research and development efforts into HIV medications and prophylactic treatments for AIDS, the prices continue to rise annually.
When access to vital medications is denied, people die.
That is why when I lived in Indiana I worked on federally mandated boards alongside the Indiana State Department of Health to support, protect and in many cases defend these programs and vital services for those most in need.
When I left to return to Illinois, Mike Pence, now our Vice President, took over as Indiana’s Governor with a Republican supermajority in the Indiana State Legislature.
People that I love died because of choices that Gov. Pence and Indiana Republicans enabled.
Not in America they say.
I’ll never forget the phone calls. He couldn’t get approved for medications in time because they had gutted the med program in political retaliation to President Obama. He died. He wasn’t the only one.
This happens in America when people deny science and reality because of their ideological and extremist beliefs that are most definitely not pro-life.
Gov. Pence, with these same enabling policymakers, also eliminated vital needle exchange programs, creating an HIV outbreak in Southern Indiana.
I’ll never forget the road construction signs flashing on I-65 saying HIV Outbreak Ahead (picture courtesy of HIV Plus Mag).
This is especially heartbreaking and devastating when you’ve fought alongside so many others to protect the lives of your fellow citizens.
All of those years of dedicated work flushed down the toilet by ideological and extremist beliefs put into policy by so-called pro-life politicians that don’t care about all Americans but only about inshrining their indoctrinated, cynical beliefs into public policy.
It still makes me sick.
Republican policies kill Americans.
I won’t shy away from that reality. And, neither should any one else.
Our current state representative in the 110th district in Illinois, Chris Miller, is one who shares many of Vice President Pence’s beliefs. His millionaire wife wants to be our next U.S. Congresswoman.
Rep. Miller voted “Present” on a bill this year to mandate insurance companies to provide insulin injectors to children. How is that pro-life?
It should concern all of us that we have elected representatives that deny science, facts and objective reality, not to mention our American values and principles of protecting people that are alive and breathing.
I will never be that kind of representative because I understand what is at stake: people’s lives and well being.
As I fought for those who couldn’t fight for themselves before, I continue to fight alongside others again.
Join our campaign as we aim higher in America and in the 15th District.
We use our values and principles to make good policy, not to harm our fellow citizens.
We focus resources where the need is the greatest, and in the state of Illinois, the need has been the greatest in the 15th District since Republicans have been running it. Republicans just refuse to do anything about it but give it lip service. Tax cuts for the wealthiest are just too damned important.
We deserve better than lip service legislators and those who don’t understand the gravity of the policies they enact.
You can’t say you’re pro-life when the policies you support deny people access to healthcare.
Currently, there’s an upsurge in HIV infections in Macon County, just outside the 15th District.
With the increase in injection drug use throughout America, we need more needle exchange programs to better protect the public, save money and above all save lives.
There are life and death consequences to ignoring reality.
We simply cannot afford to ignore reality nor failed policies any longer.
Join our campaign as we aim higher in America and in the 15th District.
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