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December 01, 2006

Silence = Death.

Today is World AIDS Day. As I sit here writing this, I think back to the early 80's, when as an elementary school child I first started hearing about AIDS. First it was "gay cancer", then AIDS, then HIV resulting in AIDS, all primarily linked to homosexuals in our world wide media. It would take several more years before "regular" people who had contracted the virus through unfortunate blood transfusions or sharing needles or unprotected sex would show the world that not only gay men could contract AIDS. For many people, however, AIDS is still seen as a primarily "gay" disease. How unfortunate this lack of education is, and how deadly. AIDS has changed the face of our planet, in so many ways. It has changed the way many people have sex. It has changed many policies and practices in our medical system. It has reinforced the need for non-biased education, truly one of the best ways to fight this disease. If one tries to really grasp the immensity of the destrcution this disease has done, how many people's lives have been changed because of this disease, all of the suffering people have had to endure, it is overwhelming. It is like trying to grasp the concept of infinity.

So I ask myself, what can I, as one person, do? Well, I can continue to keep myself educated. I can help to educate others about this disease. I can continue to practice safe sex to keep myself and others safe from this disease. I can help to dispel ugly and dangerous mistruths that only certain kinds of people can get AIDS. I can do whatever it takes to make sure people that live with this disease are not made to suffer by being ostricized by society. For really they are already suffering enough.


If I can do these things, I believe they will make a difference. So imagine if everyone else would try to do these same things? I think a lot of difference could be made.

Posted by ahuckle at December 1, 2006 11:23 AM

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