Right is right

And Simcha Fisher is right.  In an effort to point out that I bear Ms. Fisher no ill will (I merely have strong disagreements with some of her actions and consistency), I give you clear thinking.

There has been an outcry since the Orlando shooting that has nothing to do with the evil NRA or evil Conservative Christians, whose names are noticeably mentioned and repeated by various groups and political leaders.  It has to do with the fact that there are certain rules pertaining to openly gay men giving blood.  The rationale for this is obvious to a person of reason.  Despite every effort to convince us otherwise, being a sexually active male homosexual is disproportionately dangerous against almost any other sexual behavior.

People die.  They die by the tens of thousands.  And they die precisely because they are engaged in a behavior that is as almost as dangerous in terms of AIDS as smocking is in terms of cancer.  And just like smoking, which can impact others, giving blood can obviously impact others.  Furthermore, there is no surefire way to ensure us that blood given wouldn't be tainted.  And because we don't want to hurt those we are trying to help, there are clear and obvious restrictions on who can give blood and why.

Sane and reasonable people understand this, just as sane and reasonable people understand most common sense issues.  We get why you will have a hard time getting life insurance if you are a professional skydiver.  We understand why we were told we can no longer smoke in small, crowded places like airplane cabins and national parks.  We also get why someone who is likely to contract an incurable, ultimately fatal, blood-borne disease by way of their lifestyle should be looked at differently when it comes to giving his blood to others.

So a good article, and some good points.  Ultimately giving blood is not a right.  At its best, it is a cup of cold water that anyone giving it should hope is as healthy and helpful as possible.