Open Letter to Senator Stabenow

I wrote this letter to Debbie Stabenow concerning last night's debate. What a disappointment to hear both candidates spend much of the time discrediting the other, rather than dealing with the most important issues that were asked of them. While Edwards seemed nervous and inarticulate, Cheney seemed calm and composed. And while most are contending the debate was a draw, I contend that people follow those that can keep their head about them. How disappointing that the party I want to do well did so poorly at last nights event. I know the job that has been done over the last four years, and I am waiting desperately for a change to this nation. I only see the last for years as regressive. We've watched the single largest drop in the stock market, surpassing even the great depression. Jobs recreated since 9/11 have been on average paying less than half equivilant jobs available before 9/11. My own boyfriend can attest to that. And while I am mostly immune from such a financial crisis, since before 9/11, I was still at the birth of my career, making far less than I should have, I, too, have witnessed my 401k suffering, and stock shares fall to less than 1/4th their initial buy in price. Medical costs are out of control. The deficit widens, making way for future generations to bear the financial burden. With the current deficit being as great as it has come, we've almost certainly doomed social security. And I certainly don't want to be 76 before I can retire. In the next four years, Bush has promised not to reinstate the draft, and yet truth be shown that our military is overextended. A draft this time would mean men AND women up to the age of 34 would need to do a time of service. The only remote benefit I could see as to a draft would be the collapse of the oppressive "Don't ask, don't tell" policy, since I'm certain a number of heterosexuals would suddenly discover they have a desire for the same sex. I long for change. I need change. Four more years, and I believe we'll be facing a financial crisis like no other in about 10-15 years down the line when the government is no longer able to pay its debt. It's already happening with state budgets. How long before it happens to our federal government? Anyhow, the letter as promised.

Dear Sen. Stabenow,

I know your not responsible for what was said last night at the presidential debate, but as a Senator in a swing state in the same party as Vice President (hopeful) John Edwards, I thought you might have some direct influence over the Senator to pass on my feelings and concerns over what was said at last nights debate, specifically concerning the question about the AIDS crisis at home. Neither Cheney or Edwards took the time to answer the question as was presented to them. Both went on tangents about the World AIDS situation, while ignoring the issue at home. Edwards talked (briefly) about concern for national health care, which is certainly welcome, but totally missed the boat. What we need to be concerned with as far as AIDS in this country is spending in all the wrong places, and underfunding of organizations accross the nation, including our own ADAP system in Michigan. AIDS victims are treated as second class citizens in this country, and are marginalized in a big way. While breast cancer patients are treated with cosmetic surgery to correct the defect created by mastectomy, AIDS patients are left high and dry when it comes to surgery to fix humpbacks, fat bellies, and facial wasting as a result of the necessary medications for survival. Meanwhile, many are told they are ineligable for ADAP because they simply make too much money, forcing many people to take jobs with lesser income to be eligble for state aid. Foreigners with wishing merely to visit the US cannot. And while HIV testing is not required for simple entry, the policy forces foreigners to live in fear, leaving valuable life-saving medications at home, potentially causing the virus to mutate, creating drug-resistant forms of the virus. Meanwhile, we increase spending on useless, proven ineffective systems addressing abstinence by 49% increases to $70,000,000. $70 million that could be better spent on funding prevention programs like manditory counselling to couples planning ot wed on how to stay safe and encouragement for yearly testing even while wed, the area directly effecting black middle-aged women in this country. As was so boldly stated on the cover of a recent Poz magazine, "Kissing doesn't Kill People, but lies do." I think it's also important to start sex education earlier in schools. Whether or not we want to believe it, our kids are smarter, and doing more adult things at earlier and earlier ages in this country. They can handle the truth. An area being completely ignored at present is children born with the virus becoming of age to have sex in this country. And while they understand the need for using protection, many of them don't, for lack of condom availability or just plain child like invincibility syndrome. Which is why it's equally important that kids their own age understand that anyone, including someone their own age might have the virus, and we need to be empowering our kids to protect themselves. We need a president that understands that the situation at home isn't getting better; it's getting worse. Infections are on the rise again, and of the 1st world nations, the U.S. has some of the highest levels of infection worldwide at roughly 1% of the nation. We'd like to pretend this pandemic isn't happening at home, and isn't a problem anymore. But the truth remains, the longer we ignore the situation, and the fewer dollars that are spent toward *real* prevention programs and funding toward a vaccine, the greater the chance that we ourselves risk an Africa-like state of the nation. AIDS is no longer a gay disease. More than 50% of those infected in this nation identify as heterosexual. AIDS isn't just a black/latino disease. 30% are caucasion. And there's good evidence to show that these numbers from 2002 are even skewed to be too small, since accross the board, states are reporting a significant increase in the rate of new infection. As any insurance company or anyone close to health care understands, prevention is a far more cost effective means than treatment. As a Senate congressional member who has spent much of your career advocating for patients and national health care, I know that you will understand the issues at hand. But democrats need to have a united voice on this and other issues, and I felt at last nights speech, Edwards didn't have a clear understanding of the real AIDS crisis at our very doorstep. AIDS is real terrorism, too. And it's right here in our very midst, while we stand by and largely ignore it. Like a theif in the night, it's robbing thousands of their innocence each year, and millions worldwide. We need to be strong in the fight against AIDS. And that means we can't keep thinking of it as an African issue. Or as a black/latino/gay issue. It's a world issue. And it's a U.S. issue. Whether we choose to deal with it now, or choose to deal with it when it's too late, AIDS is not going away. And more, much much more, needs to be done to stem the pandemic not just in the world, but here at home, too.

Thanks for your time,
Concerned Michigan Voter