One can only be rescued from a group fantasy the moment such a fantasy begins to fundamentally conflict with one's core beliefs and values. To that end, I offer the following two quotes:
Clinton's advice to beat Aids: stay faithful
Bill Clinton made a plea yesterday for a new emphasis on monogamy as a key element in the battle against Aids.
The
former US president, not noted for his ability to keep his own marriage
vows, said it was very important to change people's attitudes to sex.
In
an interview with the BBC recorded in Africa, Mr Clinton said that
increasing support for monogamy was not just a problem for the
continent worst hit by Aids but for the world.
"To pretend we
can ever get hold of this without dealing with that – the idea of
unprotected sexual relations with unlimited numbers of partners – I
think would be naïve," he said.
Experts believe that the nature
of Africans' relationships may help explain the continent's high rate
of Aids. Research suggests a higher frequency of overlapping sexual
partnerships.
Compare this quote to the following:
Clinton says Africans must change sexual behaviour
Former president Bill Clinton told Africans last night that they must
practice sexual responsibility in order to solve the AIDS crisis.
Clinton, who has become an unofficial AIDS goodwill ambassador
since leaving office, spoke to an estimated 20,000 trade unionists who
had gathered in the Rimping Amphitheatre in Lagos, Nigeria.
"In this, the greatest crisis to ever affect Africans, I call
on you to help us win the war against AIDS. You can start by being
faithful to your wives," he said.
"It is absolutely essential that you always wear condoms," he
remarked....
"We of the richer nations want to help you Africans defeat this
terrible plague.... Working together, we can triumph over
HIV/AIDS...."
One of these is an excerpt from a "health news" article published this morning in a prominent British newspaper. The other comes from a piece of satire written seven years ago. Can you tell which is real and which is satire?
Let me help you out by filling in one of the dot-dot-dot's for you:
"It is absolutely essential that you always wear condoms," he
remarked. "Not only do they protect you and your partner from AIDS,
they will also prevent semen stains from getting on your partner's
clothing. Ruined clothes can plunge a woman deeper into poverty because
she has to spend food money to buy replacements."
"You must not have affairs with young girls and come in their
mouths without a condom. This is the height of irresponsibility....
Here is a link to the article that appeared in this morning's Independent, and here is a link to the satire written seven years ago.
If you are a person diagnosed as seropositive (HIV-positive) and live a normal life without taking antiretrovirals, you can help me with a book that I am writing, a book that will feature the testimonies of those who have survived this diagnosis. This book will be in support of and will be of great help to those who suffer the social Calvary of seropositivity and AIDS. History will recognize the courage and bravery of each witness and your testimony will support and bring hope to those affected, demonstrating that it is possible to escape the incorrect forecasts of the official view on AIDS.
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