Why are some disabilities "trendy" and more deserving of support than others?

I was really upset to see a news interview this week with a man who has AIDS, who admited he got it from using IV drugs, saying he receives assistance for his mortgage payment, he takes taxis everywhere that are paid for, that he doesnt have to do without anything. The AIDS association pays for his internet, bought him a computer, pays someone to do his housework, his yardwork, etc.

He is also completely mobile, not yet incapacitated by AIDS.

This really angers me, WHERE is this same support for people with MS, ALS, Post Polio, and other disabilities that are debilitating? No one is paying mortgages for these other disabled people, or for taxis etc. And their disabilitiy is not the result of a life style choice.

WHY does our society treat people who became disabled through choice as if they are such poor deserving "victims" while other disabled people are basically ignored and marginalized?

I dont even know what to call this kind of discrimination.

I met a man the other day who worked his whole life, then one day 20 years ago, while at work there was a mixed communication and the bucket of the front end loader was dropped onto him. Smucked him, broke his back, his pelvis, his hips, his legs, his spleen was damaged, ribs broken, lung punctured - you name it, he had it.

Workers Compensation said he was faking it, he received benefits for two weeks then was cut off, and got nothing else from them.

Yet he survived to drag himself into the store, alone, with no assistance given to him to buy dog food and rice.

Poor guy just isnt "trendy" enough to get the assistance he needs.

You are absolutely correct. The same would hold true if the person were deaf or blind. No help available, even if needed.

I suppose, Isotope, that you can count your blessings that you still have your wits about you and that you are able to manage despite health problems.

I suspect it's because AIDS has become a celebrity cause, and with the celebrity worship that goes on in this country, if a star says it's worthwhile, then, by God, it's worthwhile.

Still, it doesn't seem quite fair, does it?

Wow! Really? I am speechless. I am a Special Needs Teacher who works with children with a wide range of "different abilities". From Cerebral Palsy to Aspberger's to Downs Syndrome. Do you know how many of those kids would benefit from such care? I'm shocked and speechless.

im not meaning to be offensive, but i have done some jobs working for disabled people... and probably 8% of the jobs are for fat/obese people. who are getting help with payments and registered disabled.

i think its wrong and i think its very wrong to be using tax payers money for these things, being fat is your own fault.

and before you start saying "your wrong some poeple are fat because its in their genes" ok 2% on fat people in the whole world may have that excuse, but the majority? no way.

when i was doing work for one fat lady, i remember her driving to the shops and when she came back she had 12 huge blueberry muffins, when i came back to work the very next morning ALL 12 were GONE!

i thought "thats why your fat, you sponge of the system"

case closed.

In a perfect world everyone would have health care...but choosing who is more "deserving" by how they became ill is disgusting. Why would you want someone to suffer for the fact they do not meet your guidelines for help. What if the shoe were on the other foot? Do you meet the expectations of the world?

Let's call it PCitis. Go back to the 60's when drunks and drug bums suddenly turned into "victims" of some damn thing. If you were wise enough to avoid it why then you must not be "aware" and need your "awareness" raised by various slime ball celebs and outfits trying to suck your tax money and give it to BUMS!!

Blind people receive the most public assistance available. AIDS people who aren't incapacitated yet receive very little so the private charities try to take up the slack. But I think it's mean spirited to pit one disability against another while we spend $12 billion a month in Iraq.

I suspect it's the celebrities whom the "charities" get to bolster their cause. Otherwise, all of the charities would go under and sink for the very last time. People, in general, don't care about others as they should. However, if folk find a movie star around them, then they would be alright. They need the presence of the movie stars to make people feel fantastic about giving for those "who are truly in need." What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? - Romans 8:31 The Lord daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah. - Psalm 68:19. Peace, Love and God Bless.

It's all about money and the people in the entertainment business who get involved. Such as Muscular Dystrophy. Jerry Lewis is involved, and so there are the telethons, which raise millions for the cause (which is a very worthy cause). It's not fair at all, but life is not fair. I have a horrible time with bad nerves, and will shake and become very fearful in social situatons many times, and people just like to stare or make fun of people with mental illnesses, but if you have a physical problem such as being crippled, then people are much more understanding and compassionate. Life is very hard, agreed? Hugs to you for caring.

I totally agree with you. But life just isn't fair sometimes. The disabilities that are most common, have the most celebrity support and has the most monetary backing usually wins out in the end. I suggest that to combat this, everyone who reads this should, (1) write to to the AIDS association (which one did you say it was?) about the unfairness of this and (2) give all you have to a disability that is near and dear to your heart. With more public support for more serious and crippling disabilities, those people may recieve more help than ever (3) write to the government about legislation that will help all disabilities.