Why are we so stupid
Over the years, Bill Day has made no secret of the fact he trades clean syringes for dirty ones on the street corners of San Antonio’s poorest neighborhoods to reduce the spread of HIV — even meeting with two police chiefs to explain his mission and providing the license number of his grant-funded minivan.
But this month, a San Antonio police officer cited Day, a 73-year-old retired commercial real estate appraiser and co-founder of the nonprofit group Bexar Area Harm Reduction Coalition, along with two board members, on a charge of possession of drug paraphernalia — a Class C misdemeanor, which is punishable by a fine of up to $500.
Now police say they plan to refile the case this week with District Attorney Susan Reed as a more serious Class A misdemeanor, distribution of paraphernalia, which carries a punishment of up to a year in jail and a $4,000 fine. Meanwhile, a legal team that includes high-profile criminal defense attorney Gerald Goldstein is assembling to represent the three in court.
Dumb, dumb, dumb. I hear and read the right wing screaming from the rafters about the money we spend on indigent health care but an organization takes it on themselves to help bring that figure down by preventing the spread of HIV and the world falls apart for that too. I know I have heard the heartless side of the right wing saying without needle exchange we are thinning the herd but HIV is no longer a death sentence, it is an incredibly costly chronic condition and so while I do take offense at the thinning the herd comment you would think these whackadoos who would throw it out there could at least get on board for lowering their tax burden. How many heroin users do you think are covered by health insurance and who the heck do you think will end up paying for the cocktail drugs when they contract HIV?
Filed under: weird news
