Comments on: The South's Silent Epidemic

African-Americans Make Up Well Over Half Of HIV/AIDS Cases In Much Of The Rural South

[credibility2]

There''s absolutely no reason or excuse for anyone this day and age to get HIV/AIDS. There''s plenty of information and medical help available, even to the so-called poor and indigent. It''s stupid selfishness and carelessness that leads to getting this totally preventable disease. Either say no or wear protection.

[cbsblogger]

If you get AIDs today it is your own fault, just as is getting lung cancer from smoking.

The word has been out there for years about the hazzards and the public at large shouldn''t be required to pay and care for those who are too stupid to use common sense.

Let the gene weeding out process take care of it.

"If we could get more funding into the South, it would alleviate the problem," said Katherine Heirs of the Southern AIDS Coalition.
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It would depend on where it was deposited.

[deepperppl]

Is this all about shame? Can''t we also say it''s about stupidity or hardheadedness? There is a point where your pride becomes a danger to your very own life. When will it hit these men living on the DL that all they are doing is ruining themselves, and not the Man who brought them the AIDS virus in the first place? Just kidding. AIDS began in Africa. The monkeys that poachers were killing had a virus that carried over to humans, like the chicken flu is expected to do. I just don''t want the South to be the New Africa. Someone has to talk some sense into these guys! (Throwing money at a problem doesn''t work, LOL. If that were the case, Louisiana''s Katrina victims wouldn''t still be having problems - no offense to those who actually handled the money they got responsibly.)

[gatofeo]

"If we could get more funding into the South, it would alleviate the problem," said Katherine Heirs of the Southern AIDS Coalition ...

Typical.
"Throw enough money at a problem and it will go away," has been the thought for more than 30 years.
Black culture in America celebrates promiscuity and a macho ethic that dismisses the consequences of one''s actions.
The problem isn''t lack of money, it''s lack of personal responsibility.
Black leaders need to chastise rap and hip-hop for its degradation of women as Hos, anti-education and "get the money any way you can," attitudes.
For 25 years we''ve been told, through public service announcements and public institutions to practice safe *** and don''t share needles. And for all those years, the black population has largely ignored these warnings.
I have no sympathy for those who ignore these warnings.
If you tell a man, "Don''t stick your finger in that bottle of acid," and he does it anyway, are you supposed to feel sympathy?
Heck no.
Black leaders, if they truly are leaders and not just TV camera opportunists, need to chastise their own people for a number of failings: AIDS, crime, dropping out of school, abandoning families, etc.
Bill Cosby did it about 10 years ago and was booed for speaking the truth. Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton quietly sat on stage next to him and never said a word.
Some leadership!

[tcoleman12]

You have to be kidding me that there is a "lack of awareness" out there... I do, however, believe that they nailed it with their "lack of personal accountability".
Also, you guys blaming the Bush Administration are missing the boat on this one. Bush has allocated more money during his presidency towards AIDS research and programs than any previous president...ya boy Clinton included.

[gheemaster38]

Why is it when there is a terrible disease the first thing that is said, "It is dominate in the black community" but yet when you visit the medical wards you see mostly whites? Be it Cancer, Hepititus, Influenza, Ashtma, HIV, AIDS, etc. Why is it that on one hand the media can report that a high percentage of the "Black" race has this illness, but almost in the same breath they report, that the ones infected doesn''t register at hospitals and lives with the virus unknowingly? How would these "experts" know if the person is not registered or tested? Either someone has a keen pyschic ability or they are misleading people into a false since of security. My advice would be to visit these wards for yourself and determine what the truth is.

[cyberdjs4]

Here''s further proof that God is not in control of anything.

Nature controls ALL and your worship is not necessary.

[gunfighter51]

CBS,
I think it''s time to move this over to the Huffington Post, your not getting much sympathy here.

[barbaraf4]

"What - someone really expects the Bush administration to care about this?" Posted by shado269
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Why should Bush administration care about this when the people involved don''t care enough to act? Their leaders should get off of their behinds and get a community action plan. It will have to be a grassroots effort, because no one else cares more than you should care about your own community.

If Jesse Jackson and the Black Clergy would stop preaching hatred of the whites and start preaching safe se*x, it would be a good start. It is not the fault of the US or the white population. It is the fault of apathy and depression.

[missingamerica]

What - someone really expects the Bush administration to care about this?

Posted by shado269 at 04:59 AM : Aug 17, 2008
+ rep

what can any administration do about it? you are just taking a childish potshot at Bush

Posted by jamesm12341 at 10:36 AM : Aug 17, 2008

Oh, and the "war on drugs" and the "war to spread democracy" are not to be interpreted as signs that this Administration takes pretty vigorous action - when it is something that they want?

[foxmulder33]

Whatever happened to public service announcements?

[cbsfan73]

Displeased wrote:
"Do the blacks being raised in poor ghetto like city neighborhoods have the same opportunities as suburbia whites? A person''''s quality of life develops as soon as they''''re born."

I have known numerous people born to very poor families in rural Appalachia that later went on to make a decent life. Most of them even became very well off. I am sure on average that these people are far more successful than their ghetto raised counterparts.

It''s a person''s ability to think and care that makes the difference.

[displeased]

I don''''''''t understand why the black population is plagued with this virus as they have had the same opportunities for education on this subject and know how to prevent it the same as the whites.
Posted by GodzFan

Oops, I didn''t read your post very well. You said same education for this SUBJECT. That''s a huge difference over the general education I was referring to.

[displeased]

NO PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR ACTIONS. ITS EVERYBODY ELSES FAULT.
Posted by GodzFan

It''s their parents fault. In most cases, if you''re raised irresponsibly, you''re going to live irresponsibly.

[jackp32]

Immorality and stupidity go hand in hand among those who play with fire. Wake up you idiots.

[barbaraf4]

"I was dumbfounded and really the only one I could look at was my husband," said Lorraine Mitchell, an AIDS patient who says her husband knew he had AIDS even before they were married."
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Six words: PRE-UN-PROTECTED-SE*X-BLOOD TEST

For crying out loud. These people are so used to the government taking care of all their financial needs, that they have no problem solving skills. It doesn''t matter if you don''t use a condom, because if your partner gets pregnant, then who cares? It is just another name on the welfare roll and more income for the household. Of course now the medicare system, which cannot furnish adequate coverage for retired, taxpaying senior citizens can spend dollars on these people who have never contributed anything to the system and who basically are victims of their own lifestyle.

[adfolder]

Yo, bro, Yo thang is bigga than yo brain!!!!

[canoemom3]

I have been an ultrasound tech in many small and large southern towns, including Memphis. I have seen many young black women that are pregnant for the 5th or 6th or even 10th time. They want to know exactly how far along they are to either 1] see if they can still get an abortion, or 2] try to decide who the "baby''s daddy is". The majority of these young women have had multiple partners starting in their early teens.It is not only socially acceptable in their communities but it is also expected. The spread of HIV here is truly astronomical. I see 30 yr old grandmothers who are so proud their 15yo daughter is "FINALLY" pregnant. I guess now they qualify for their own GOVERNMENT funded apartments, food stamps, WIC etc. I think that if ER Docs would check for HIV like they check pregnancy tests on all these young women who come through the er like a revolving door, then we would begin to see what the numbers truly are. Even though this article states numbers, that only represents the people who have been tested. How many thousands will never have a test?

[godzfan]

Amen Demongirl,I was just thinking the same thing.Bill Cosby would have a field day with this. I am really surprised someone has''t made so dumb***ed racial remark in here so far.
I don''t understand why the black population is plagued with this virus as they have had the same opportunities for education on this subject and know how to prevent it the same as the whites.
I guess it goes right along with why there are men running around with a bunch of children from several different mothers all seeking child support.
NO PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR ACTIONS. ITS EVERYBODY ELSES FAULT.