Jeremy’s note: For those of you who don’t know today, December 1st, is World AIDS awareness day. I’ve read a few things about the day on various sites and blogs, different peoples opinions and insights: but this one seemed to be most sincere and poignant to the kids of today.
From Ryan at Spitshine Records:
Over some pints of good, dark English beer last night with a friend, I recalled my experience of seeing the AIDS quilt. I was in Washington, DC for the 2000 March on Washington. After the march and rally concluded, my boyfriend (at the time) and I decided to walk over to the Smithsonian. We were unaware at the time that the AIDS quilt was being displayed on the grounds outside the museum. Blindsided and unprepared for what we were about to witness, we were both overcome with emotion as soon as we approached the quilt. As is tradition, names of those who had passed were being read over a loud speaker by volunteers. Each person would read a list of names and, at the end, say something like, “And my brother…” and read one last name before passing the microphone on to the next volunteer.
If you’ve never seen the quilt, it’s an incredible visual representation of the lives lost. Each panel of the quilt is dedicated to an individual who succumbed to the disease. Sewn into the fabric are pictures, favorite sayings, favorite pieces of clothing, and other remembrances of the life that has passed. The quilt is no longer displayed in it’s entirety because it has grown to enormous proportions.
This morning, I read of the rise in HIV infections among young people in the United States. The experts interviewed in the story suggest that young people never witnessed the horrific results of the initial wave of AIDS deaths and are not afraid of the disease. The disease seems manageable to them - hey, look how healthy and happy everyone looks in those pharmaceutical ads! This development is a failure that stains all of us. We’re clearly not communicating to young people the danger that they face. We’re not communicating that the AIDS meds are no picnic and they ain’t cheap either. In short, we’re not explaining that, yes, great strides have been made, but AIDS is still fatal.
Today, remember those you have lost. Contemplate those that you never got to know.
Tomorrow, commit yourself to taking every opportunity to sound the warning to young people.
Reposted with permission from the Spitshine Records livejournal.
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