[ATLian]

Seeing that

(1) no matter what, people are gonna f*ck, coz abstinence doesn't work

(2) we have a major over-population problem due to unwanted babies

(3) AIDS is killing thao Kenyans

(4) condoms have been proven to reduce unwanted pregnancies and STDs

if I were the Presi, I would definitely recommend condom use. BTW TM I don't care if the couple is married or not, I say condoms to all. My job isn't to preach my religion to my country, my job is to do what's best for the country. If someone has some beliefs in his god can hinder his effective running of the country, then he should not be a president.

Here's an example of religion intefering with good governance - A good friend of mine works for a company called Population Services International (PSI) in Kenya. PSI is a US government NGO, and they try prevent epidemics. The programs they are working on in Kenya include supplying clean water, malaria control, and of course AIDS. My pal works in the AIDS control division, which among other things, distributes free condoms and sells Trust condoms for highly subsidized prices. She told me that there have been numerous studies and experiments that have shown conclusively that use of condoms is the best way of fighting AIDS, period! In all their test areas where they gave away condoms and taught people how to use condoms, the rate and prevalence of AIDS went down. BTW one of the worst ways of AIDS control is abstinence, since, like I wrote above, people want to and are going to f*ck!

When Bush was elected, he gave $15 billion to fight AIDS in Africa, which was heaven for akina PSI and the other smaller NGO's that feed off them in Kenya. They had dreams of just unleashing condoms all over and cutting down Kenya's infection rate by double digit percentage points. Lakini Bush added a major clause to the money - due to his religious beliefs, not a single penny of the $15 billion should be used for any condom programs, whether it's education (on the benefits of condoms or how to use condoms) or the sale of condoms. He wanted the money to go into programs that his religion and god deemed fit e.g. abstinence programs, despite the fact that tons of evidence showed they can't work.

I also have a pal who works for the Center for Disease COntrol (CDC) here in Atlanta, and she had the same storo - Bush cut funding for condom programs in federal AIDS programs in the US. She deals with black crackheads and MSMs - Men who have Sex with Men, the CDC term for the chaps we call gays. These groups f*ck each other daily like rabbits and have rates of AIDS infection that are quadzillion-truple the national rate. Plus, and I know this is a major oxymoron, not all MSMs are gay. Some are married, have kids, etc, and do guys on the down-low (Undercover Brothers) since in the black community gayness is still a major taboo, so they spread AIDS to their wives too. Despite the evidence of how condom use and education in the mentioned groups has been known to keep the rates of AIDS infection very low, she can't even mention to them about condoms coz it's against Bush's religion. WTF?

I think that is totally irresponsible coming from a president and totally f*cked up that he can use his religious beliefs to unleash doctrines that directly lead to the deaths of many of his citizens!