8 GAY PEOPLE'S CHRronicle

MAY 15, 1998

COMMUNITY FORUM

Sacrificed to the endless War on Drugs

To the Editors:

I am writing this to you because five years ago I stood in a hospital room in NYC and saw my best friend die after suffering horribly from the ravages of AIDS. He was just a few months shy of his 30th birthday.

While Todd did not contract his disease from sharing needles, he has much in common with people who were HIV infected that way. His death was a tragedy that could have been avoided.

Cleveland's Ken Vail, founder and executive director of the Xchange Point, is jailed for his efforts to save lives by running a needle exchange program in the city. While trying to drum up support for the program to satisfy a recently passed ordinance to desist from syringe exchange until they had demonstrated widespread community support through a variety of mechanisms such as community forums, he was arrested. More fodder for the drug war.

In the past week, President Clinton showed himself to be the cowardly politician that he is and chose to sacrifice the lives of intravenous drug addicts to the altar of the War on Drugs. Rather than support needle exchange, which his own Secretary of Health and Human Services admits saves lives and does not (god forbid) encourage drug abuse, his policy is to not support needle exchange programs with any federal money. It is more important to the national leadership to fight the losing War on Drugs than to save lives and slow the spread of AIDS.

It would be heartening to see the community stand up in support of Ken Vail, whose efforts have been to save lives and limit suffering of people who have very few advocates in this society-drug addicts with AIDS. Trying valiantly to prevent more avoidable tragedies, he should be seen as a hero.

WINNER

1998 GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Print Media "Why did Robbie Kirkland have to die"-February 21, 1997

WINNER

Lesbian, Gay Community Service Center of Cleveland 1997 Community Award

For responsible and professional journalism

WINNER

1st Place Vice Versa Award Best Editorial

“Ohio's anti-marriage bill is a call to arms"-February 7, 1997

Someday, the tide will turn and people will see the War on Drugs for what it really is. Here is a clear example of where this endless, losing battle is costing lives and spreading a deadly disease much farther than is necessary. Perhaps Cleveland can be a place where the tide is turned, and good sense prevails. Please let's prevent more preventable tragedies. Support Ken Vail!

Joseph Esterhazy

Stop this idiocy

To the Editors:

Cleveland

I was recently informed of Ken Vail's arrest for "violating” the order to cease his needle exchange until community forums determined acceptance of such programs. I am writing to express my outrage.

Needle exchanges have been proven for so long now and by so many independent researchers and government agencies to be the most effective form of reducing HIV/AIDS infection that it is becoming tiresome to have to repeat it.

It is therefore irresponsible and unconscionable for any government agency to order that such programs be discontinued, especially until community forums determine acceptance. The vast majority of citizens are uninformed about needle exchange and therefore substitute opinion for fact. It is irresponsible to put uninformed citizens in charge of such a crucial matter that is indeed a matter of life and death.

I would ask the powers that be if they could make such a despicable decision if it was the life of their sons or daughters, their spouses, their siblings, parents or grandchildren on the line.

All charges against Ken Vail should be dropped. Likewise, the offensive and irresponsible order to cease needle exchange pending public forums should also be dropped, and the idea of public forums should be changed to

WINNER

2nd Place Vice Versa Award Best Health Article "From booze and drugs to a coast-tocoast triathlon"-1997 Pride Guide

HONORABLE MENTION

Vice Versa Awards Best Comprehensive or Investigative Report "Why did Robbie Kirkland have to die"-February 21, 1997

HONORABLE MENTION

Vice Versa Awards-Best Illustration

1997 Pride Guide cover

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public education about needle exchange. Finally, the Cleveland government should ask themselves this: What would our lives be like today if the initially unpopular treatment specified for syphilis had depended purely on public forum?

Let Ken Vail go, and stop the idiocy now! Linda Hansen, M.S. Rockford, Illinois

Fighting for our cause long before Kucinich

To the Editors:

As a longtime reader of the Chronicle (since its inception), I was very disappointed in your endorsement for the 10th congressional district, and in the manner in which you did it. Nobody in your office bothered to interview me; nobody in your office evidently looked at my campaign literature or positions, and you evidently did no research at all on my career here in Cleveland or nationally. Otherwise, you would not have referred to me as "self-declared feminist ... River Smith.”

Anyone at all familiar with the anti-sexist men's movement, the anti-rape movement, or the grassroots movement to end domestic violence would know that I have been at the forefront of those movements for over a quarter century as a spokesperson, organizer, and program administrator.

While Dennis Kucinich supports our community in some ways that other straight politicans don't, he does not support gay and lesbian marriage or an equal rights amendment that includes sexual orientation. These are both part of my platform, and I speak on them any chance I get. My weekly cable TV show promotes these issues every week. I've featured the last three pride marches and rallies as part of television specials. I've done radio commentaries supporting gay, lesbian, and bi rights. I've marched in at least a dozen pride marches around the country.

It is understandable that you would have endorsed Dennis over me because of his experience, or his greater likelihood of comfortably defeating the Republican bigot in the general election, but if you'd done more homework you would have known that I was fighting for our cause long before he even thought about it, and will go on fighting until I can no longer. I think that at least deserved a little attention, if not an endorsement.

C. River Smith Cleveland

Community Forum

GAY PEOPLES CHRONICLE

Volume 13, Issue 23

PUBLIS

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