Comments on: Chattanooga Cares / Strides of March http://tete-tete-tete.com/223/chattanooga-cares-strides-of-march/ Tue, 18 Nov 2008 15:08:32 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: RW http://tete-tete-tete.com/223/chattanooga-cares-strides-of-march/#comment-4607 RW Thu, 15 Mar 2007 13:02:57 +0000 http://tete-tete-tete.com/223/chattanooga-cares-strides-of-march/#comment-4607 Ah, I see. Thanks for the heads up. Ah, I see.
Thanks for the heads up.

]]> By: smijer http://tete-tete-tete.com/223/chattanooga-cares-strides-of-march/#comment-4588 smijer Thu, 15 Mar 2007 04:38:12 +0000 http://tete-tete-tete.com/223/chattanooga-cares-strides-of-march/#comment-4588 RW, point taken. I blame the press release - Chattanooga Cares, and their Strides of March fundraiser does much more than raise awaereness of HIV/AIDS (though you might be surprised how much room there is for improvement on that score alone... that's a whole nuther topic - and two reasons you don't have flu-awareness groups are that the news media are all over flu outbreaks anyway, and that the flu is only rarely a fatal illness). Anyway, CC/Strides makes medications available, works toward prevention, funds research for cures, partners with medical groups to treat homeless AIDS patients, and much more. I also like to participate in the Heart Walk and the Memory Walk (for Alzheimer's research) when I am able. I try to make it a point to blog each event when it is coming up, but I don't always get the notice in time to do it. Chattanooga Cares is good about sending mailers a couple of weeks in advance - so if I check the mail, I usually manage that one. RW, point taken. I blame the press release - Chattanooga Cares, and their Strides of March fundraiser does much more than raise awaereness of HIV/AIDS (though you might be surprised how much room there is for improvement on that score alone… that’s a whole nuther topic - and two reasons you don’t have flu-awareness groups are that the news media are all over flu outbreaks anyway, and that the flu is only rarely a fatal illness). Anyway, CC/Strides makes medications available, works toward prevention, funds research for cures, partners with medical groups to treat homeless AIDS patients, and much more. I also like to participate in the Heart Walk and the Memory Walk (for Alzheimer’s research) when I am able. I try to make it a point to blog each event when it is coming up, but I don’t always get the notice in time to do it. Chattanooga Cares is good about sending mailers a couple of weeks in advance - so if I check the mail, I usually manage that one.

]]> By: RW http://tete-tete-tete.com/223/chattanooga-cares-strides-of-march/#comment-4567 RW Wed, 14 Mar 2007 22:12:31 +0000 http://tete-tete-tete.com/223/chattanooga-cares-strides-of-march/#comment-4567 I think it's a great thing for people who have gone through the tragedies to have an outlet or maybe interaction with those who have suffered similarly. My wife is very active in the autism community (me, so-so...I'm usually busy watching the kids while she goes to meetings, not that I'm uninterested, but somebody's gotta keep 'em) so we get all sorts of data/feedback from others who have undergone what we're going through (which I refuse to call anything negative, because it's not in our case). All that aside & removing emotion completely from the equation: is there really a need for a community to push "AIDS awareness" in 2007? Who - of a competent age, of course - isn't aware of AIDS/HIV and what brings it about? It was surely needed in the 80s, to be sure, we were all ignorant. But, we don't have influenza awareness outings even though some knowledge about the usage of hand sanitizer would REALLY keep a lot of people from getting sick & more than a few die. I'm not being the heartless Christian conservative who hates "the fags", I knew a gay guy who died of AIDS at age 27, I'm looking at this from a logical perspective. The get-together is laudable and, frankly, I think it should happen more. But, is the entire concept of "AIDS/HIV awareness" really something that is needed as much as a lot of folks really think it's needed? (which is entirely different than simply "needed", which of course it is). I hope that made at least some sense. I think it’s a great thing for people who have gone through the tragedies to have an outlet or maybe interaction with those who have suffered similarly. My wife is very active in the autism community (me, so-so…I’m usually busy watching the kids while she goes to meetings, not that I’m uninterested, but somebody’s gotta keep ‘em) so we get all sorts of data/feedback from others who have undergone what we’re going through (which I refuse to call anything negative, because it’s not in our case).

All that aside & removing emotion completely from the equation: is there really a need for a community to push “AIDS awareness” in 2007? Who - of a competent age, of course - isn’t aware of AIDS/HIV and what brings it about? It was surely needed in the 80s, to be sure, we were all ignorant. But, we don’t have influenza awareness outings even though some knowledge about the usage of hand sanitizer would REALLY keep a lot of people from getting sick & more than a few die.

I’m not being the heartless Christian conservative who hates “the fags”, I knew a gay guy who died of AIDS at age 27, I’m looking at this from a logical perspective. The get-together is laudable and, frankly, I think it should happen more. But, is the entire concept of “AIDS/HIV awareness” really something that is needed as much as a lot of folks really think it’s needed? (which is entirely different than simply “needed”, which of course it is).

I hope that made at least some sense.

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