Subject:  Electromagnetic exposures and HIV (Butler) (Beaver)
Date:     Tue, 20 Jul 1999 143402 -0500 (CDT)
From:     "Roy L. Beavers" <rbeavers@llion.org>
To:       emfguru <rbeavers@llion.org>
--------------------------------------------------


.....Chris, correct me if I am wrong.  But, my memory of San Francisco
(some years back) is that there are a number of small tabloid-local weekly
newspapers ("sheets" might be a better word) which cater to their
particular segment of the public readership.....

.....I would think that at least one or two of them might be interested in
publishing the following.....

Roy Beavers (EMFguru)......
rbeavers@llion.org.......
.....It is better to light a single candle than to curse the darkness.....
EMF-L web-site can be found at: 
EMF-L archives can be found at: 
..................PEOPLE ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN PROFITS..................

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Tue, 20 Jul 1999 09:08:14 -0700
From: Christopher Beaver 
To: "Roy L. Beavers" 
Subject: Electromagnetic exposures and HIV

Dear James:

Thanks for your comments about the effect of electromagnetic exposures
and their impact on those with compromised immune systems. They were
well-stated and well-received.

I had a brief discussion about this with Dr. Neil Cherry during his
visit to San Francisco for our Antenna Free Zone conference in March of
1998. 

We stood on a hill above the Castro District with the Castro Theatre a
highly visible landmark in the distance, as Dr. Cherry shook his head at
the response of his automatic camera to the electromagnetic fields
generated from above by Sutro Tower. The camera zoomed in and out
randomly, its automatic focus cranking back and forth in an endless
loop. Without a real study of the area, it's obviously impossible to
speak with certainty. Yet, Dr. Cherry agreed that electromagnetic
exposures could contribute to the suppression of the immune system and
also could increase the incidence of diseases  such as cancer that took
advantage of a weakened immune system. These exposures certainly do not
help the health of any population.

In fact we included the Castro community on the occasion of the Antenna
Free Zone conference. At the behest of George Brooks-Robertson, we
scheduled a second session of the conference at the Metropolitan
Community Church in the heart of the Castro District. This church is a
wonderful institution that welcomed our presence as opposed to the
church up the street that wanted the antennas. We agreed with Mr.
Brooks-Robertson that our concerns needed to be brought to the Castro in
part because the neighborhood  has a large gay population with an
increased incidence of HIV. The neighborhood is also in the shadow of
Sutro Tower and is also close to my own home, rather powerful incentives.

 In addition, Mr. Brooks-Robertson directed participants attention to
the impact of all toxic technologies on poor and African-American
neighborhoods, including a high incidence of electromagnetic field and
radio-frequency exposures. 

Mr. Brooks-Robertson had hoped we might schedule a second session of the
Dr. Goldsmith forum that we held last year in the Bayview-Hunters Point
neighborhood, largely though not exclusively African-American, to
address these issues. Unfortunately, we did not have enough resources to
bring this off. On top of our own financial and time limitations, we
faced phone company and union pressure that further hampered our
efforts. I still feel guilty about not making more of an effort to reach
the African-American community. They are in a health crisis almost
beyond belief and perhaps we could have contributed to their
understanding of what is happening to their community.

The basic information sheet we offer as a handout concerning the hazards
of electromagnetic exposures specifically identifies high-risk groups as
children, the elderly, and those with compromised immune systems. I
personally feel inhibited about going too far in singling out any
specific group such as gay men since HIV is clearly not limited to gay
men, the vast majority of gay men do not have HIV, and since the Castro
District is an extremely diverse neighborhood. But, that may be my own limitation.

A reporter from 60 Minutes recently asked me why I was so upset about
the potential antennas in the Castro Theatre since they are on the other
side of a steep hill away from our neighborhood. I did think of the
several gay men I've lost to AIDS and what the Castro Theatre has meant
to me as a beacon of artistic freedom and a symbol of the
neighborhood...but my spoken response was even more simple and strange
to say in our era of make money, make money, sounded corny to my ears:
what affects one of us affects all of us; people are more important than profits.

Thanks again for your note, James, there's so much that needs to be
done. We will continue to reach out to the Castro through the
Environmental Committee of the Harvey Milk Democratic Club. We'll see if
enough neighborhood concern exists for resistance to follow.

Best to all,

Christopher Beaver



Archive provided courtesy of WaveGuide, http://www.wave-guide.org
Reprinted with permission of Roy Beavers, http://www.feb.se/EMF-L/EMF-L.html