4 ms·
I think the main reason is that these laws were penned specifically to target HIV, not any deadly virus, and they were penned at a time of heightened paranoia a
by codezero 5y ago
I think the main reason is that these laws were penned specifically to target HIV, not any deadly virus, and they were penned at a time of heightened paranoia against HIV.
This makes the law narrowly focused and if you want a law to protect you from "known deadly virus" then make that law, and you'll cover HIV and any other known deadly virus.
Where is the law for hepatitis? etc... the list could go on and the point is that this law was only targeting HIV.
- at_a_remove 5y agoIt should include Hep C at the least.
- codezero 5y agoThat's missing the point, if you want a law to punish people for transmitting a disease intentionally, that's as specific as you need to get. The magnitude of the consequences for this law wrt HIV infection is also likely higher than would be applied to a general infection because of the paranoia/homophobia at the time of its writing. So sure, go write a new law and make sure it covers a broad set of things without singling out a specific group that is already marginalized.
- at_a_remove 5y agoI disagree. We have all transmitted diseases. And "intentionally" gets pretty interesting -- how many times have we come in to work sick because we haven't enough sick days? The magnitude of the effect of the disease is what is important. A cold? Well, it happens. HIV ... not so much.
- codezero 5y agoContext here in the thread was deadly diseases.