Core 116

In health class we discussed AIDS as type of STD. We learned that it was both preventable and fatal. We even learned how to correctly put a condom on. We did not, however, attend any lecture on the political history of AIDS or discuss the social implications of the disease. Even the movie we watched, “People Like Us,” told the story of a racially diverse group of city kids who had contracted AIDS. Despite what the title advertised, none of the characters in the movie remotely resembled anyone I knew. I lived in a small town filled with well-educated white suburban kids – the people on the video were not “like us.” After reviewing all my sources of information, it became clear that the conclusion I reached about AIDS’ impact on my community was almost the only one I could come to, for not one of my sources ever described AIDS affecting members of my community.