An Epidemic of Ignorance: AIDS & Discrimination
Over the course of history, it has often been said of human beings that we are afraid of what we don't know. In the late seventeenth century, religious fundamentalists used the irrational fear of witchery and superstition as an excuse for the execution of many innocent people. Until fairly recently, most non-Anglo-Saxon races were looked upon with apprehension and abhorrence. Nevertheless, mankind has frequently managed to overcome its ignorance and fear in favor of knowledge and enlightenment. The mid-twentieth century space program developed after a prolonged fear and trepidation against "going where no man has gone before." A newfound social refinement and intelligence conquered even the dark ages, which had previously been saturated with superstition and fallacy. Even in today's world with continuously evolving technological genius and "liberal" social enlightenment, hate and fear have still proven to be critical issues. This has been a particular concern with regard to AIDS, one of the single greatest tragedies of the twentieth century. No other disease, or event for that matter, has caused so much finger pointing and hysteria. Even those unfortunate individuals who were blacklisted during the McCarthy hearings in th
After seeing that such a "cancer" was taking the lives of more and more their friends, many gay males consequently recognized a need for action and thus mobilized their resources in order to educate themselves and their communities. Despite scientific fact, there have still been many recent incidents in which AIDS victims have been targeted and ostracized by uninformed and fear-driven individuals. As former President Ronald Reagan pronounced at Ryan White's funeral, "[w]e owe it to Ryan to make sure that the fear and ignorance that chased him from his home and his school will be eliminated. Gary White, of the Nashville-area Interfaith CARE Team, stated that "[they] ha[d] clients who [were] denied housing, job opportunities, entrance into particular religious communities, or invitations to family reunions because of HIV/AIDS discrimination" (Tennessee Tribune, 1996, ProQuest Information & Learning Database). The news media, for example, presented information concerning the epidemic in dismal and unclear tones. 9% of all reported AIDS cases to the Centers for Disease Control (Centers for Disease Control, http://www. As a result, Ryan pursued legal action by filing a court case against the school system. HIV-positive people all over the world have constantly suffered inhumane exile, and even violence from their communities. White homosexuals could have started their race's exposure to AIDS by seeking out colored sexual partners. Thus, they carry the heaviest burden of AIDS (Brown, 1993 p.
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