I read an article about a WV police officer who denied a man life-saving medical care because he identified the man as gay and said he probably had aids. I sent a "letter to the editor" to every WV news agency I could find.
I just got a call from this one, that they are going to publish my letter.
I just learned of one of your law enforcement officers in Welch, WV, denying someone life-saving medical care because he identified the person as gay and presumed he had AIDS.
The victim died.
My request is that you would join me in speaking out against this horrific, violent act.
A religous scholar asked Jesus how to get to heaven. Jesus asked him, "What does the law say?" The man responded "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind & strength. And love your neighbor as you love yourself."
Then to define "neighbor," Jesus told the story of the Good Samaritan. And that is the true picture of Christian love.
What this officer did was unconscionable.
While I am aware you may have varied beliefs about homosexuality & God's love for gay people, you would have to deny the entire message of Christ to go along with this officer's actions.
This gets my blood boiling! How in the world can we say that we are better that Bin Laden and his terrorist minions, when we just standby and let a bigot like this guy do what he did just because he was afraid of AIDS? EVERYONE knows that you can only get AIDS through unprotected sex, sharing needles, or drinking breast milk, or receiving infected blood into your system. This guy knew that! This was just plain murder! If he didn't know this...then what was he doing with the important job that he had?
I tell ya...some people have let their homophobia drive them completely mad!
Suit: W.Va. police chief denied gay man CPR Chief calls allegation ‘a boldface lie’; 43-year-old died after heart attack
The Associated Press Updated: 6:40 a.m. ET March 3, 2006
CHARLESTON, W.Va. - A small-town police chief was accused in a federal lawsuit Thursday of stopping a would-be rescuer from performing CPR on a gay heart attack victim because he assumed the ailing man had HIV and posed a health risk.
Claude Green, 43, died June 21 after being stricken yards from City Hall in Welch, a community of about 2,400.
The American Civil Liberties Union sued on behalf of his mother.
Police Chief Bobby Bowman called the allegations “a boldface lie.” He said that he called an ambulance and that Green was taken to the hospital in “no more than nine minutes.”
“No one refused him CPR as his sister and mom are saying. They can do what they want, but if they’re saying I refused him CPR, that is no way true,” Bowman said.
The lawsuit accuses Bowman of pulling off Green’s friend Billy Snead as Snead was performing chest compressions on the man. Snead was a passenger in Green’s pickup truck when Green collapsed; Snead had managed to pull over the vehicle.
Snead said in an interview that he didn’t realize at first it was Bowman giving the order and continued working on his friend. Bowman repeated his command to get away, saying that Green was HIV positive, then grabbed Snead by the shoulders and told him to sit on the curb, Snead said.
“He was a police officer so I got out the way. I assumed he would help. I didn’t want to be a hindrance,” Snead said. “He also told the ambulance drivers that he was HIV positive and to be careful.”
Green was pronounced dead at the hospital after about 30 minutes of attempts to revive him.
Rose Saxe, a lawyer with the ACLU’s AIDS Project, said Bowman’s alleged actions contributed to Green’s death and violated the Americans with Disabilities Act, equal protection laws and due process rights.
Saxe said Green’s death was “tragically senseless” because he did not have the AIDS virus, but added that he should have received lifesaving care even if he was HIV-positive.
“He was simply a gay man in Welch, West Virginia. And because of that we can only assume that Chief Bowman assumed he had HIV and it was unsafe to even touch him,” Saxe said.
When asked if he knew if Green was gay, Bowman would not answer and referred questions to McDowell County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Danny Barie, who also represents the City of Welch.
Barie said Thursday he had received a copy of the complaint but could not comment because he had not reviewed it or discussed it with Bowman.
Dearest Nate; As a hetrosexual it saddens me that some are so fearful dear. It truly gives a bad name to all. This is just my opinion dear, but I believe this world has strayed so far from God and been taught to love this world and their life in this world that iniquity abounds as the love of many waxes cold. That spirit of anti-christ dear, sitting in these temples has deceived most people that they are gods, or that their life is more important than others. I'm so glad that our precious Lord Jesus didn't have that self-satifying spirit and mindset. Faith in the promises of our precious Lord should remove this fear but sadly dear, not all will submit themselves to the Lordship of our precious saviour. I couldn't help but think how brother Paul quoted the laws and prophets saying God is no respecter of persons. It is sad that unfortunately dear, this man will probably get off with a slap on the wrist. If it were one of us we'd probably get sent up for a long time. I'l be praying as you persue this dear. May God bless you for your compassion towards your fellow man. Love, Samantha.