Ron Paul on Sunday reiterated his claim
that AIDS patients victimize citizens by forcing others to pay for
their care.
In his 1987 book Freedom Under
Siege, Paul wrote that “The individual suffering from AIDS
certainly is a victim – frequently a victim of his own lifestyle –
but this same individual victimizes innocent citizens by forcing them
to pay for his care.”
When Fox
News Sunday host Chris Wallace asked about the comments, Paul
answered: “I don't know how you can change science. I mean
sexually transmitted diseases are caused by sexual activity. And
when it's promiscuous, it spreads diseases. … In a free society
people do dumb things, but it isn't to be placed as a burden on other
people, innocent people.”
“Why should they have to pay for the
consequences?” Paul said.
The Texas Representative, who is
expected to be a big winner in Tuesday's Iowa caucuses, added that he
was not saying that the law should deny AIDS patients health coverage
but suggested that people at high-risk of contracting AIDS should
carry a heavier burden.
“If people are smokers, don't they
have to pay more? Sometimes you get your insurance cheaper if you're
a non-smoker. That's all I'm talking about and let the market sort
this out and let insurance sort this out.”
“You don't have a right to demand
that somebody else take care of you because of your habits,” he
added.