Because Today is Not a Fad.
Two years ago, so many accepted the challenge to spread awareness about HIV and AIDS, but I have to ask: What have you done since?
This becomes the problem of charity. It's something we break out but once a year--a cause to donate to when it's most convenient or when we're directly effected--and we feel good about ourselves at the time. We feel like we've done something. And then things change: lifestyles, partnerships, relationships, financial situations--and we begin to forget that illness is a force 365 days a year.
Today is World AIDS Day. The theme this year is Universal Access and Human Rights. And, much like I stated two years ago, money is not the only way to respect or support this theme. The first thing to do is to educate yourself; then, educate others. After that, it's a whole lot of finger-crossing, and maybe even a little futility, but it's an ongoing battle in a beleaguered war. It must be an ongoing battle. AIDS and HIV Awareness is not a matter of convenience. It's a social responsibility.
AIDS is more than a color, or a ribbon, or a day of the week. It's more than a cause. For some people, it is simply a matter of life. And death.
Today, I am celebrating life.
I may be a statistic, but I am also a man. On days like today, please do not get lost in the hype. Remember the human being. Being compassionate to another's needs is, perhaps, the bravest thing you can do. And you don't need to ask a calendar for permission.
A year from now, what will you say you've done?
This becomes the problem of charity. It's something we break out but once a year--a cause to donate to when it's most convenient or when we're directly effected--and we feel good about ourselves at the time. We feel like we've done something. And then things change: lifestyles, partnerships, relationships, financial situations--and we begin to forget that illness is a force 365 days a year.
Today is World AIDS Day. The theme this year is Universal Access and Human Rights. And, much like I stated two years ago, money is not the only way to respect or support this theme. The first thing to do is to educate yourself; then, educate others. After that, it's a whole lot of finger-crossing, and maybe even a little futility, but it's an ongoing battle in a beleaguered war. It must be an ongoing battle. AIDS and HIV Awareness is not a matter of convenience. It's a social responsibility.
AIDS is more than a color, or a ribbon, or a day of the week. It's more than a cause. For some people, it is simply a matter of life. And death.
Today, I am celebrating life.
I may be a statistic, but I am also a man. On days like today, please do not get lost in the hype. Remember the human being. Being compassionate to another's needs is, perhaps, the bravest thing you can do. And you don't need to ask a calendar for permission.
A year from now, what will you say you've done?