April 02, 2005
total number of AIDS deaths between 1981 and the end of 2003: 20 million.
number of children orphaned by AIDS living in Sub-Saharan Africa at the end of 2003: 12 million.
by 2004 women accounted for 47% of all people living with HIV worldwide, and for 57% in sub-Saharan Africa.
in 2003, young people (15-24 years old) accounted for half of all new HIV infections worldwide, more than 6,000 became infected with HIV every day.
Pope John Paul said "no personal or social circumstance" could justify the use of contraceptives, including using condoms to protect against AIDS. in one of his toughest stands ever against artificial birth control, he asserted that the Catholic church's ban must be respected because it was divinely inspired.
my personal memories of this man are of sitting reading the news over the years, wondering why he supported the Nicaraguan Contras, why he was silent while hundreds of thousands died in Rwanda, not caring until public relations forced it, why he protected accused pedophile priests, why the lives of millions of women, children, gays & lesbians were allowed to be forfeit directly because of his words, and his church's doctrines?
i believe the bad this man did far outweighs the good, and if you're a believer and think heaven and hell exist, you'd better pray mighty hard for his soul.
the only thing i'm sad about is the certainty that Karol Wojtyla will be replaced with someone far worse, someone more conservative, someone less humane.
