Occupy Wall Street / OccupyTogether

[I_care]

 I am marching this Weds. 10/25/2011 in solidarity with Healthcare Workers and Occupy Wall Street ( www.nycga.net for calendar list of events )...I am hoping to see more involvement from my fellow Healthcare PATIENTS who are fed up with the current state of Business As Usual; re: big Pharma policies and price gouging, Insurance providers who won't cover life saving procedures,  Corporate "personhood" supreme court ruling (Citizens United) which will allow anonymous & unlimited corporate $ponsorship of political candidates...etc etc etc
I would love to link with other interested activists or anyone with the energy to stand up for what is right...
           Facebook/Jeffreysan (send me a pvt. message & friend request)

[I_care]

I see the connection...Corporate sponsorship /Big Pharmaceuticals  ;   Is that why this post was moved from "ACTIVISM" forum and put here in "OFF TOPIC"?? 

[Solo_LTSurvivor]

I see the connection...Corporate sponsorship /Big Pharmaceuticals  ;   Is that why this post was moved from "ACTIVISM" forum and put here in "OFF TOPIC"??  

Maybe the moderators here didn't see the connection to any type of activism when they clicked that link in your initial post?

I know when it clicked it, it took me to some page requiring a log in with title page: 'LaunchRock - create a viral  "LaunchingSoon" page in minutes' and not the calendar list of events are you are proclaiming by posting it everywhere  

[Ann]

I see the connection...Corporate sponsorship /Big Pharmaceuticals  ;   Is that why this post was moved from "ACTIVISM" forum and put here in "OFF TOPIC"?? 

Don't be ridiculous. The Activism forum is for hiv/aids activism only. Occupy is not hiv/aids specific and neither is the healthcare situation. Your thread is more likely to be noticed, read and responded to in Off Topic anyway, so I actually did you a favour.

Ann

[I_care]

 I understand that hiv policies are not the main focus of Occupy, but I was alerting to a specific action that is seeking to bring awareness about issues that definitely are important to, and, have a DIRECT EFFECT on our community... if that is off topic, then o.k., "off topic" it is.
 I do apologize for the bad link, but I don't apologize for trying to inform. Solo, I did not post it "everywhere"
   since the link doesn't work, type the addy in    " www (dot) NYCGA (dot) net "

 "Get Wall Street out of Healthcare" March against the Health Care Industry  10/26/2011
Come at 3:00 pm if you want to share your personal story on open mic
 Leaving @ 4:00 pm from the big red structure on B'way/ Zucotti Square

[leatherman]

I do apologize for the bad link, but I don't apologize for trying to inform. Solo, I did not post it "everywhere"
   since the link doesn't work, type the addy in    " www (dot) NYCGA (dot) net "

did u change/edit your original link?  because it works now when it didn't earlier

but I was alerting to a specific action

what specific HIV-related action are you referring to?  That link still does not go to any specific action. (yes, I looked thru that site. there is no specific HIV/AIDS group listing)

As I have seen and read about it, while #OWS does include many smaller issues (too damned many really. LOL but time should bring more focus), the main focus seems to be about the economics of corporate greed destroying the middle class in America and an inequality in taxes - which really isn't about any HIV-specific issues.

Rather than trying to tack HIV issues onto a protest about the economy,you might be better off focusing your actions and advocating toward Federal ADAP funding issues, Federal cure funding issues, and the implementation of the President's HIV/AIDS policy; or advocating at a state level of funding, education, and prevention issues.

just my two cents as an ADAP/HIV advocate acting locally in SC

[I_care]

..."specific action" of OWS...that's what I meant. I was not posting about OWS in general, but about a
 "Get Wall Street out of Healthcare" March against the Health Care Industry. I appreciate your advice. OWS is a platform for many different causes, and aims to be all inclusive in finding solutions. I am aware that there is not a "Hiv/Aids" specific working group but I believe the issues pertain to our community in so many different specific ways...issues of justice, equality, and access to care.  I am seeking to find my voice and make it heard, and hoped I would find more likeminded spirits here. Thanks for responding

 10/26/2011 March against the Healthcare Industry with healthcare workers
Come at 3:00 pm if you want to share your personal story on open mic
 Leaving @ 4:00 pm from the big red structure on B'way/ Zucotti Square

[Theyer]

Will this open mic feature health care workers giving examples off pharma practice?

If so ,good luck hope it ends up on u-tupe please keep us informed.

mhtv

[I_care]

From the thread Topic: Cost of War vs. Cost of Cure. There is a link at the bottom which leads to the document I got this from:
"Another theory is that some drug companies, which have a lot of money to spend on research, concluded that the safest investment for them was to put money in AIDS treatment, not AIDS cure research. There was a greater chance to find an effective treatment than to find a cure for AIDS, and less chance of losing their money."

I just pulled this off of another post, talking about where we are with regards to a cure, and why there is so little of the budget going towards cure research.  I think it clearly shows how the Occupy movement's call to end the influence of wall street in the health insurance industry is directly related to aids activism...and vice versa

[bocker3]

Intersting that you keep saying "our community".  You joined the forums 2 weeks ago, have told us nothing about yourself and all your posts are about this OWS stuff.

Are you even HIV+?

[I_care]

Will this open mic feature health care workers giving examples off pharma practice?

If so ,good luck hope it ends up on u-tupe please keep us informed.

mhtv

Yes, I expect that there will be health care workers who speak on the open mic forum. Thanks for the positivity

[I_care]

Intersting that you keep saying "our community".  You joined the forums 2 weeks ago, have told us nothing about yourself and all your posts are about this OWS stuff.

Are you even HIV+?

HIV+ since 1994. Viral load<undetctable  Regimen: Kaletra, truvada, acyclovir  Supplements: Zyflamend, acidopholus, calcium, st. johns wort.   I'm an artist, cook, handyman...originally from Oregon.
This OWS stuff is pretty important stuff, and affects us all,  I think

[leatherman]

talking about where we are with regards to a cure, and why there is so little of the budget going towards cure research.

i have recently been trying to explain part of this in another thread.

Just 30 yrs after the start of the HIV/AIDS epidemic (not the scientific study of HIV but the major outbreak of the epidemic), a lot has changed quickly. After an unprecidented changing of regulations, medications were quickly brought to market that stopped 1000s upon 1000s of deaths. These life-saving measures have given scientists and the pharma industry valueable time in which they have not only continued to produce treatments but have also moved on into finding vaccines and the cure for this disease.

It took quite a number of years for them to determine that this retrovirus was the problem, and to determine what retroviruses did in general. During that time they worked diligently for short-step time-effective treatments to stop the deaths that were happening. After they got a handle on that part of the epidemic, they have not only continued improving treatments but have gone to, now that they have the needed time (because HAART keeps us alive), actively and aggressively trying to create and perfect vaccines and the all-elusive cure.

Quite frankly as one who has lived with HIV 25+ years and was diagnosed with AIDS nearly 20 yrs ago when only AZT was available, I'm glad they didn't put most of the monies towards finding a cure. I'm glad they spent those years creating HAART while they learned about HIV. And now that they've gotten a good range of meds and know a lot more about this retrovirus, I'm pleased to see all the progress in the last 5 to 7 years as they have been trying to produce a vaccine, all the while going down many venues trying to create a cure. (check out the Research thread here for all the numerous ways researchers are looking for a cure) Thanks to those years they spent creating HAART, I  -unlike my first partner and many of my friends from the 80s and 90s) may still be alive when they finally discover and work their way to the cure. 

OWS stuff is pretty important stuff, and affects us all,  I think

I too believe the #OWS stuff is very important; but I view it differently from you, especially since #OWS doesn't have any set agenda or goals. I have been concerned about HIV/AIDS for a lot longer than all the issues that seem to be a part of #OWS. I've been an advocate for HIV/AIDS related causes (like ADAP funding and cures) through regular channels and have seen years of decline and years of improvement. For me, #OWS should deal with the "big picture" items like wall street, taxes, jobs, etc. Cluttering up that discussion with more minor issues (like HIV treatment/cure funding) just doesn't seem as productive. In the long run, if #OWS is able to get financial/employment change to come to the nation, advocates will still be needed to push legislators to give proper funding for HIV for years to come.

Good luck with your activism and DO let us know when and how we can help make a difference. I lead a local advocacy group that contacts our state and federal legislators once a month, trying to keep HIV/AIDS issues in their thoughts so that at the appropriate time they will enact laws and regulations that will help us. I'm always looking for and interested in finding specific things to talk to my legislators about that they can do to help us out.

[Ann]

Supplements:...   st. johns wort.

Why are you taking St Johns Wort? It is contraindicated in we pozzies.

[I_care]

i have recently been trying to explain part of this in another thread.



 For me, #OWS should deal with the "big picture" items like wall street, taxes, jobs, etc. Cluttering up that discussion with more minor issues (like HIV treatment/cure funding) just doesn't seem as productive.

Healthcare as a Human Right...that's what I'm talking about, and so is OWS. That's a major part of why I support OWS. It is not ONLY to protect our access to meds and docs here in the USA. FOR PROFIT HEALTHCARE DOES NOT CARE FOR PEOPLE.  OCCUPY is a WORLDWIDE MOVEMENT, AMERICA.