Cancer a Better Cause Than Aids

We see them every time there’s an awards show on TV. They’re little red ribbons on tuxedo lapels and gown straps and they are meant to show support for the effort to cure AIDS. And they are at the vanguard of a mess that’s been built by political correctness. For the most part, the PC movement is fabricated by things you should say but don’t really believe because, like a freshman attending prom, it’s the cool thing to do.

I’m going to ask for a show of hands like a Baptist preacher during the Invitation. Every head bowed every eye closed. If you have a close friend or immediate family member with AIDS raise your hand. I am looking out over the congregation and I see a couple of hands. Ok, I’ll make it even easier. If you even know one person, other than a celebrity, with AIDS or is HIV positive, raise your hand. There’s couple more hands raised.

A different question now.

Raise your hand if you have a close friend or family member that has or had cancer. Whoa! Hands all over the church are going up. Raise your hand if you know somebody, other than a celebrity, who has or had cancer. Every hand in the church is up.

I often wonder why a disease like AIDS is the darling of the liberals in the PC movement, getting so much face time with so few sufferers, while cancer plays second fiddle in the background?

Let’s compare the two.

Contrary to our Surgeon General in the 80s (the one with the funny beard) AIDS is a disease that does discriminate. AIDS is largely contained to the homosexual and intravenous drug user community. So if you frequent San Francisco bath-houses, are a male hair-dresser or dancer, or swap needles with you bust druggie, Dougie, you are more likely to contract HIV which leads to AIDS. Cancer however, with the exception of tobacco users, does not discriminate. There are millions of Americans who have never used tobacco, not even one time in their lives, yet they live with cancer. There are even millions of more Americans who lost their battle with cancer and fill our country’s cemeteries and graveyards.

There are a few examples of Americans who contracted AIDS through no fault of their own. One popular example is Ryan White, a boy whose life was cut short by AIDS when he recieved a tainted blood transfusion. Ryan was popular in the media, appearing frequently on Oprah and other outlets. I was a boy myself as America and I watched Ryan wither away. It was so sad to see Ryan die, as it is with any decent human life. However, what made it sadder was that Ryan died so young and because of no actions of his own. Ryan wasn’t a homosexual or heroine addict. He was an innocent kid, a real victim, whose like was cut short by forces outside of his control.

Through years of medical advances and research we now know what President Reagan postulated years ago; AIDS is largely a behavior driven disease, while cancer is not. I think that’s the reason that Reagan refused to expand AIDS research with federal money. Dutch knew that when you make your own bed, you sometimes have to lie in it.

I will be honest. Like every other adult American in my church house survey, I have been affected by cancer. My mamaw (southern for grandmother) beat breast cancer once only to have it return and spread throughout her body. She died a week before my 16th birthday. My my middle sister was diagnosed with breast cancer at 38. She’s 40 now and is currently cancer-free. Neither were tobacco or intravenous drug users nor were they homosexuals. Tell me what either did to deserve cancer?

The eatery I moonlight at a couple of nights a week recently put some displays on its tables. Seem there’s an effort in town called Nashville Cares where on April 24th participating will be donating 30% of the revenues to raise money for AIDS research. I wanted to scream, “What about cancer?!”

If Nashville cares, if the movie and music industry really wants to help people, really wants to raise awareness and money for a valiant cause, they would be wearing a ribbon worth bearing. They would display a desire and passion to cure cancer because cancer patients’ behavior, unlike those with AIDS, never played a part in their contraction of their disease and there are many more cancer patients than AIDS. Yet AIDS continue sto be at the forefront of the liberal-led PC movement with cancer playing the role of the red-headed stepchild at the family reunion.

WHY?              

      

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