By Dawn Wolfe
FARMINGTON – After the questions about Iraq and an exchange on equal marriage rights, both Vice Presidential candidates gave less than direct answers during the Oct. 5 debate to a question about African-American women who are living – and dying – with AIDS.
FARMINGTON – After the questions about Iraq and an exchange on equal marriage rights, both Vice Presidential candidates gave less than direct answers during the Oct. 5 debate to a question about African-American women who are living – and dying – with AIDS.
The moderator, Gwen Ifill of PBS, told the candidates that black women in the U.S. "between the ages of 24 and 44 are 13 times more likely to die of the disease than their counterparts," and asked them to respond to the question, "What should be the government's role in helping to end the growth of this epidemic?" Ifill first made it clear that her question was "not about AIDS in China or Africa, but AIDS right here in this country."
Vice President Dick Cheney responded to Ifill's question by focusing on the Bush administration's commitment to fight the disease internationally, and added, "I had not heard those numbers with respect to African American women. I was not aware that it was that severe an epidemic there…"
In his rebuttal, Democratic candidate Senator John Edwards also chose to concentrate on the international effort at first, but then switched gears to talk about the availability of health care here at home.
"You know, we have five million Americans who have lost their health care coverage in the last four years. Forty-five million Americans without health care coverage," he said.
Edwards added, "If kids and adults don't have access to preventative care, if they're not getting the health care that they need day after day after day, the possibility of not only developing AIDS and having a problem … is there every day of their lives."
Neither candidate addressed the plight of African-American women with AIDS in his response, an omission that frustrated Michigan professionals who are dedicated to helping people with AIDS.
Debra Szwejda, manager of the HIV/AIDS Prevention & Intervention Section of the Michigan Department of Community Health, told BTL, "I think it's very unfortunate that the leaders in our country are unaware of the disparities with HIV and minority populations and the majority of the response to that question reflected global rather than domestic concerns. I'm pleased that the question was even asked, but I'm disappointed with the response."
Barb Murray, the executive director of AIDS Partnership Michigan, echoed Szwejda's disappointment. "Cheney and Edwards need to spend a day with a poor woman living with AIDS. They are both too far removed from real life for the poor and working poor. Politicians need to become stewards of the people again instead of politicians."
