Just the facts...

Fact #1: She died yesterday, leaving behind two teenaged boys.
Fact #2: She was infected by HIV and died from an unattended cranial embolism.
Fact #3: She visited 3+ health clinics before procuring an appointment with a neurologist on Dec. 10.
Fact #4: On Tuesday (11/1), she was severly dehydrated and wasn't taking any HIV/AIDS medication.
Fact #5: The Mexican social security doctors told her there wasn't much more they could do for her AIDS and told her she would probably die within 3 months.
Fact #6: The new free AIDS clinic in Tijuana, meant as a safety net for those not eligible for care elsewhere, probably wouldn't have been able to give her free medication (that would allow her to live an extended, normal life) since she was covered by the national program.
Fact #7: The price of HIV/AIDS medication in Mexico is 10 times that in Honduras.
Fact #8: The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) bans the use of low-cost generic treatments in Mexico made outside of North America.
Fact #9: I am frustrated.

It is beyond doubt in my mind that she (it doesn't feel appropriate to publish her name) died not from her HIV infection nor from her cerebral embolism, but from a lack of access to health care. Treatable diseases caused her to die from un-treated social, political, and economic ills. This example should be crystal clear to everybody that something is wrong with the way we go about our daily lives. She was paralyzed on the left side of her body for over a week before passing away. With more money, she might have gotten an appointment with a neurologist and I would not need to be writing this ranting blog.

Tijuana has a nationally recognized medical school at the UABC (Universidad Autonoma de Baja California). Medical students are required to do 1 year of social service before continuing on to a residency. Then, they go on to be plastic surgeons. ¡Por favor!

Tijuana has an abundance of social work positions. The only school of social work wasn't able to open this semester for a lack of students. Instead, people study business administration, information technology, etc. ¡Por favor!

How much are the Benjamins really worth?!?! Look at the pattern of daily news clippings on secret CIA prisons, falsified documents of uranium procurement, new Homeland Security plans to close shut down illegal immigration, etc. What are we doing? Look at the problems of the world and change yourself.

Fact #10: ________(fill in the blank)______

The future is in our hands. Please help me make it a good one.