WORLD AIDS DAY
Friday, December 1, 2006
Friday, December 1, 2006
"It is bad enough that people are dying of AIDS, but no one should die of ignorance." --Elizabeth Taylor
I remember learning about AIDS when I was a kid. I learned about it because Ryan White put a face to this disease that had previously been dubbed "the gay-mans disease." See where moronic thinking gets us? Currently, it is estimated that 39.5 million people are living with HIV/AIDS worldwide. Its not "their" disease. Its OUR disease!
You can donate money.
You can donate time.
You can spread awareness.
You can be safe.
You can offer hugs for support.
You can love someone infected.
You can...
You CAN!!
Stop AIDS: Keep the Promise
CDC fact sheet
AIDS Action: Until Its Over
The QUILT
14 comments:
i remember when i first heard about aids. it was around '85... so i was 5 y/o and there was this add on TV. there was a family... mum, dad, sis and bro at the end of a bowling lane (they stood there in the place of pins). then there was this scary grim reaper guy with a bowling ball and he takes a swing and bowls it down. the family is crying and huddles together then the ball strikes them down except for the little girl. she stands there alone and crying, then the grim reaper takes his second shot and bowls her down to. the adds about how aids can wipe out an entire family... that it effets everyone. it scared the fuck out of me so much i remember it perfectly 21 years later.
-P.Kat
I remember how scared eveyone was back then too...the fear bred so much hate and turmoil for people who were already suffering enough. When I look at it more closely, I guess its the simple fear of the unknown, and back then AIDS was the creepy stranger in the elevator that made you turn around and take the stairs. I just hope that fears are being subsided so that more help comes about...but that the fear stays enought to alert people to the problem and what they need to do to protect themselves and their loved ones.
thanks P.Kat
Throughout school i cant remember ever learning about aids, not until i was in 6th form but by then i knew about it from reading on the net and other places. But not once did teachers ever discuss it with us in school. Im not sure if it was because it was a catholic school or what but that always confused me as to why noone mentioned it.
I can definetly agree that gay people dont exist in the catholic church. I had to explain to my daughter what "gay" was. The best thing I ever did was put her into public school; for many reasons.
I remember in the 80's. The untruths about how one got it scared the shit out of me. Lipstick, toilet seats, kissing, you know the whole Rock Hudson type shit. I lost about a half dozen non-gay female friends. But Ryan White really opened peoples stereotype of what /and how/ and who. For so long the Government and media tried to keep it a dirty gay New York bath house disease.
Awareness should have started years before it did. How sad.
I wish I knew how to do more. But, alas, I am a very poor college kid, and a freshman at that, so there is nothing journalistic I can do...other than write a paper over it. I could do that, but I also could write my ten-page English final before Monday.
...I have the feeling it's going to take A LOT to make either of those happen.
Oh, and I don't remember the Eighties. I think my earliest memory was '91.
And the first time I heard of AIDS it was from Philadelphia. LOVE Tom Hanks.
As Im researching for another blog, I ran across this blatant example of WHY we need more education in this area. And yes im an evil bitch...I laughed. And I give you permission to laugh too. :)
A person walking down the street sees a group huddled in a corner. As he gets closer he notices one of the people in the group is someone he knows. Getting even closer, he sees the people in the group passing around a syringe, apparently sharing drugs.
The person approaches his acquaintance, and says, "What are you doing? Don't you know this is dangerous? You could get AIDS!"
To which is friend replies, "Don't worry about me. I'm wearing a condom."
*snicker*...oh my God. That would be a horribly tasteless joke. Hahaha...wow.
I really hope people aren't really that ignorant...but, then again....
actually it IS a true story...no joke *sighs*
It's weird that they've known about AIDS since 1981, but I don't remember hearing anything about it until 1984. I remember the panic that set in at that time, and what a big deal it was a few years later when Princess Di visited AIDS patients and actually *gasp* TOUCHED them! I think that helped take away a lot of the stigma.
Unfortunately, I think we've gone too far the other way, from blind panic to not being scared enough. Now that it's not in the headlines much anymore, and you have people surviving for years on anti-viral cocktails, many have become complacent and are letting their guard down, putting themselves at risk. We need to bring some of the fear back, but in an educated way.
Thats a true story? No way Hozay! I was walking down a main road in bedford on Tues near lots of schools and areas little kids walk with their parents and on the floor is 2 open syringes, clearly have blood all over it from someone using. If any kid went to pick it up and pricked itself who knows what could of happend. I walked straight up to the chemist and they moved them away, but those little things can start it all off.
It IS true...i found it on a website. I SWEAR!!
That dirty needle story is scary!
Some peopl are dumb fucks!! Im glad you had them removed.
Remember World Aids Day-
Too many people die because they don't have the common sense to live.
Be smart- live wisely- take care of yourself:)
Lagosi
a little late but, I personally think there is already a cure that the government is holding out on the “average person” however, if the “average people” take action, no one can prevent the change from occurring…
I remember the first time I learned about AIDS was when Rock Hudson died...I remembered reading the People article about his deather and being so scared of a disease, that would kill, you got from "sex" (so scary) It did give me a great lesson in condoms...
My mom's best friend died of AIDS in 1994ish. Dave was such a great guy, I know my mother misses her confidant so much..
i remember hearin of a conspiracy theory that the governement released AIDS into society as a form of population control...but i dont know that any government is THAT stupid YIKES!
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