| |
| |
 |
|
|
12.01.2004
Wednesday, December 1st
Today is World AIDS Day. Does this mean that the world doesn't have to think about AIDS on the other 364 days of the year? Well, actually, it does.
I think World AIDS Day should be abolished. It is a danger to human life. It clears the rest of the calendar for light-hearted ignorance. And it clears everyone's conscience with zero real, rigorous consideration for what it would take to actually rid the world of AIDS. It creates the lie that we've all done our part, and it keeps doing it year after year after year. World AIDS Day is part of the establishment of AIDS. The establishment that says it HAS TO take at least another twenty years before we can have a vaccine. The same establishment that told Kennedy he could never get to the moon in eight years. World AIDS Day is a monument to our commitment to the AIDS epidemic being around for a long time to come. We are making a tradition of AIDS. If we were committed to ending it rapidly we wouldn't be wasting our time with a "Day" to commemorate its existence. World AIDS Day is a communication that we HAVE given up on any rapid eradication of the disease. World AIDS Day is part of the system. Part of the landscape we have created that symbolizes the continuity of AIDS, not the eradication of it. And as such, it allows AIDS to persist. In fact, it helps it to persist.
This is the same system that allows hunger to persist. And war. And cancer. And the gas engine. The system that refuses to look at any problem from a transformed perspective. This is the way of our world. Substitute quaint sentiment for brave action. Replace courage with commemoratives. Build statues instead of a brave new world. Remember the dead and ignore the living. Instead of risking failure in pursuit of daring solutions, risk nothing in pursuit of good public relations and establish a "Day" to compartmentalize the resulting dead. World AIDS Day is nothing more than a monument to our lack of principle.
In the early 1980s Werner Erhard, who founded est, created the Hunger Project - a bold initiative to generate the political and public will to end hunger in the world by the year 2000. John Denver was a big supporter of the effort. A friend of mine tells the story of the day John Denver first screened an educational film he had made for the Hunger Project. Everyone in the audience cried at the end of the film. But Werner Erhard told him that the problem with the film was that it made everyone cry. He was right, of course. When we cry we think our job is over. Tears replace action.
The AIDS epidemic is an emergency of unimaginable proportions. It doesn't need a "Day." It needs somewhere between thirty and fifty billion dollars annually in order to get protease inhibitors to the 3 million people who will, this year, die, needlessly, if they don't get them. It's as simple as that. But we have come to believe it is a complicated problem. This is what we call every problem that requires simple courage. There's nothing complicated about it.
I wonder if the 8,200 people who will die of AIDS today know that it's World AIDS Day. For them it's World Over Day.
Add Comment
Read Comments (0 comments)
Tuesday, November 30, 2004
Today is the fifth anniversary of the suicide of a freind who was very dear to me. Every year 30,000 Americans commit suicide, and seventeen times that number try. Suicide is the third leading cause of death among youth in our nation. Unlike people who die of cancer, or AIDS or emphysema, or any other number of diseases, people who commit suicide have no one at their side at the time of passing. No nurses, no loving family members holding their hands. They die alone thinking the worst possible thoughts about themselves and their value as human beings. It is a dis-ease of epidemic proportions, yet we don't talk about it. We must bring the issue out of the shadows and out of the silence and into the light. If you no someone who seems depressed or suicidal, one of the key questions to ask them is if they have a plan to take their own lives. Don't be afraid to open up the subject with a friend you feel might be in trouble. Don't be afraid to bring your friendship into the light.
Add Comment
Read Comments (0 comments)
11.29.2004
Monday, November 29, 2004
It is no nobler to create the AIDSRides than it is to create a new kind of tire or to build a new building. New tires and new buildings create jobs and livelihoods for people that would otherwise not have existed. So don't throw in the towel on all the ideas you have that are not directly and obviously related to social change. Your joy might well be in industry. Charitable endeavor has no monopoly on creativity and possibility. In fact, the opposite may be true.
The point is, never let your conscience limit your dreams. In fact, if it is limiting your dreams, it is not your conscience. It is your resentment.
Add Comment
Read Comments (0 comments)
Sunday, November 28, 2004
If you want to see a movie that will remind you of the irrepressible spirit of youth and of the magic of this life, go see "Finding Neverland." Beyond Gandhi and Martin Luther King, the Peter Pans and the Willie Wonkas of this world - the real wild-eyed dreamers - have always been my greatest heroes.
Add Comment
Read Comments (0 comments)
Saturday, November 27, 2004
I have never believed that our objective in life should be to "find" ourselves. Our objective should be to create ourselves. There is nothing to find.
Add Comment
Read Comments (0 comments)
Friday, November 26, 2004
There are very few mysteries in the behaviors of human beings. Often we say, "it is unbelievable," with reference to the fact that people would vote for George Bush, or that they would vote for John Kerry or that they don't seem to care about the poor, or that they seem to care about the poor to the point of dysfunction. The fact that things seem "unbelievable" to any of us is no more than a sign that we have not taken the time to put ourselves in the other person's shoes - to consider their premises about the world.
Add Comment
Read Comments (0 comments)
Thursday, November 25, 2004
Happy Thanksgiving!
Add Comment
Read Comments (0 comments)
ARCHIVES
09/28/2003 - 10/04/2003 10/12/2003 - 10/18/2003 10/19/2003 - 10/25/2003 10/26/2003 - 11/01/2003 11/02/2003 - 11/08/2003 11/09/2003 - 11/15/2003 11/16/2003 - 11/22/2003 11/23/2003 - 11/29/2003 11/30/2003 - 12/06/2003 12/07/2003 - 12/13/2003 12/14/2003 - 12/20/2003 12/21/2003 - 12/27/2003 12/28/2003 - 01/03/2004 01/04/2004 - 01/10/2004 01/11/2004 - 01/17/2004 01/18/2004 - 01/24/2004 01/25/2004 - 01/31/2004 02/01/2004 - 02/07/2004 02/08/2004 - 02/14/2004 02/15/2004 - 02/21/2004 02/22/2004 - 02/28/2004 02/29/2004 - 03/06/2004 03/07/2004 - 03/13/2004 03/14/2004 - 03/20/2004 03/21/2004 - 03/27/2004 03/28/2004 - 04/03/2004 04/04/2004 - 04/10/2004 04/11/2004 - 04/17/2004 04/18/2004 - 04/24/2004 04/25/2004 - 05/01/2004 05/02/2004 - 05/08/2004 05/09/2004 - 05/15/2004 05/16/2004 - 05/22/2004 05/23/2004 - 05/29/2004 05/30/2004 - 06/05/2004 06/06/2004 - 06/12/2004 06/13/2004 - 06/19/2004 06/20/2004 - 06/26/2004 06/27/2004 - 07/03/2004 07/04/2004 - 07/10/2004 07/11/2004 - 07/17/2004 07/18/2004 - 07/24/2004 07/25/2004 - 07/31/2004 08/01/2004 - 08/07/2004 08/08/2004 - 08/14/2004 08/15/2004 - 08/21/2004 08/22/2004 - 08/28/2004 08/29/2004 - 09/04/2004 09/05/2004 - 09/11/2004 09/12/2004 - 09/18/2004 09/19/2004 - 09/25/2004 09/26/2004 - 10/02/2004 10/03/2004 - 10/09/2004 10/10/2004 - 10/16/2004 10/17/2004 - 10/23/2004 10/24/2004 - 10/30/2004 10/31/2004 - 11/06/2004 11/07/2004 - 11/13/2004 11/14/2004 - 11/20/2004 11/21/2004 - 11/27/2004 11/28/2004 - 12/04/2004 12/05/2004 - 12/11/2004 12/12/2004 - 12/18/2004 12/19/2004 - 12/25/2004 01/02/2005 - 01/08/2005 01/09/2005 - 01/15/2005 01/16/2005 - 01/22/2005 01/23/2005 - 01/29/2005 01/30/2005 - 02/05/2005 02/06/2005 - 02/12/2005 02/13/2005 - 02/19/2005 02/20/2005 - 02/26/2005 02/27/2005 - 03/05/2005 03/06/2005 - 03/12/2005 03/13/2005 - 03/19/2005 03/20/2005 - 03/26/2005 03/27/2005 - 04/02/2005 04/03/2005 - 04/09/2005 04/10/2005 - 04/16/2005 04/17/2005 - 04/23/2005 04/24/2005 - 04/30/2005 05/01/2005 - 05/07/2005 05/08/2005 - 05/14/2005 05/15/2005 - 05/21/2005 05/22/2005 - 05/28/2005 05/29/2005 - 06/04/2005 06/05/2005 - 06/11/2005 06/12/2005 - 06/18/2005 06/19/2005 - 06/25/2005 07/10/2005 - 07/16/2005 07/17/2005 - 07/23/2005 07/24/2005 - 07/30/2005 07/31/2005 - 08/06/2005 08/07/2005 - 08/13/2005 08/14/2005 - 08/20/2005 08/21/2005 - 08/27/2005 08/28/2005 - 09/03/2005 09/04/2005 - 09/10/2005 09/11/2005 - 09/17/2005 09/18/2005 - 09/24/2005 09/25/2005 - 10/01/2005 10/02/2005 - 10/08/2005 10/09/2005 - 10/15/2005 10/16/2005 - 10/22/2005 10/30/2005 - 11/05/2005 11/06/2005 - 11/12/2005 11/13/2005 - 11/19/2005
|
|
|
 |
| |
|
