From today's New York Post:
New Jersey would become the first state in the nation to require pregnant women and newborns to be tested for HIV under a proposal unveiled yesterday.
Senate President Richard Codey said he will introduce legislation to require testing for all pregnant women and newborns, unless the mother specifically chooses in writing to reject the test.
....The key in the fight against HIV and AIDS is early detection and treatment," said Codey, a Democrat...
....The bill would require all pregnant women be tested for HIV as early as possible in their pregnancy and again during their third trimester.
Each birthing facility in the state would be required to test every newborn in its care for HIV.
This gets me angrier than it probably should - but considering that a large majority of women do NOT engage in this type of risky behavior, why should they, and their newborns, be forced to undergo additional testing?
Despite the scare tactics of the AIDS activists, HIV in this country is for the most part confined to people who engage in unsafe sexual practices with multiple partners (often of the same sex), and needle-drug addicts who share "utensils". To force all women, and their babies, to undergo multiple testing for this disease is liberal madness run amok. Obviously, the disease is more prevalent in poorer areas; why not just institute testing there? Oh, right, that would not be "politically correct". Instead, let us impose by the force of law that all pregnant women must be tested at least twice for a disease that is likely statistically insignificant in many New Jersey counties. And let's grab their babies out of their arms and take an extra pint from them as well.
Hey Cody - you want to legislate some tests? I have an idea - how about a lie detector test for all politicians in New Jersey before they can file for candidacy? I mean, I know that MOST of them are clean (yeah, right), but the percentage of corrupt politicians in New Jersey is likely far greater than the percentage of HIV babies in the state. With the high cost of throwing crooked pols out of office, we can never start testing them too early, right? What did you say - "early detection and treatment" is key? On that, I think we can agree.....
1 comment:
Speaking of tests, I'd sign on to the idea of having to pass a 9th grade level civics test before one would be permitted to vote.
Never happen though. In New Jersey, even if it did happen, it would spawn a few thousand more state jobs and lots of cheating.
Cynical? Not me.
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