8255: Re: 8251: 20 years later, AIDS-Haiti, a painful anniversary , (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: JAALLEN181@aol.com

Re: 8251
    Without getting into the many points Senou makes I will be focusing on 
one aspect of his posting: the Kimberly Bergalis case.
     I attended a lecture on AIDS where one of the speakers was a defense 
attorney for the insurance company that was being sued.  The following points 
were made. All infected patients had different strains of the virus when DNA 
testing was done; therefore they were not infected by the same donor.
    -All involved had sexual encounters with partners that were not 
exclusive, including Ms. Bergalis, that could have explained their infection.
    -The insurance company declined to try the case to avoid excessive cost, 
as it often happens in malpractice cases.  A jury despite the evidence might 
have found both Dr. Acer's estate and the company liable.
    Dr. Acer's infection-control measures could have been faulted, because 
they were substandard, but no one had suggested that he voluntarily infected 
anyone in pretrial depositions, as the press alleged.  The different DNA 
strains support that theory.
    In reading these postings regarding the AIDS crisis, I find it very 
unfortunate that some people on the list, decide to accuse others of criminal 
activities of the highest magnitude when the only evidence they present is 
that someone told them they had read a book or they heard it somewhere.  
    I have found "the list" to be very interesting because it has allowed me 
to hear points of view that are totally foreign to me.  It has even 
introduced to me a Haiti I frankly did not know.  In this sad chapter of AIDS 
discussions, I believe we are really skating on thin ice, because these 
unsubstantiated accusations of countries and decent people will lead nowhere!
    Joseph A. Allen DDS
    Miami, FL