AIDS, it is the black plague of our youthful generation. Not only is it spreading quickly, but it also can affect anyone and can be fatal. So why not concentrate all our time and money into research for this disease that is fairly new and we know little about? Well, Naomi Freundlich, science and technology editor for Business Week magazine, thinks we should do all we can to prevent the spread of AIDS. In her article "No, Spending More on AIDS Isn't Unfair", she explains the need for increased funding and research in this field. However, Michael Fumento, former AIDS analyst for the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, thinks we are spending excessive amounts of money on the research of AIDS. In his article, "The AIDS Lobby: Are We Giving It Too Much Money?" he questions government spending on AIDS research and says it is getting out of control. He believes that the time and effort used on AIDS could be better used elsewhere in the medical field. Sandy Thurman, director of the Clinton administration's AIDS policy office, also shares some of her views on AIDS spending and how its not so easy to just put money wherever people want it.Each author explains their views on the AIDS debate; they discuss the importance of AIDS research, the numbers of AIDS patients and their cost, and benefits of research to other fields. Freundlich and Fumento agree that it is important to study AIDS, because it is a threat to young and old alike, opposed to cancer and heart disease being mainly targeted at older people. But Fumento thinks that AIDS spending should be realistic, not just tailored to fit the needs of protesters and demanding organizations, simply to keep them quiet. They also both agree that AIDS is a new and upcoming epidemic that is becoming more of a problem with each passing year. Each realizes that the disease is no longer only confined to drug users and homosexuals. Thurman states that, "Frequently they are in poverty and have abus...
