Today is National HIV Vaccine Awareness Day

Today is HIV Vaccine Awareness Day which I had no clue that this day existed until last week. I am officially turning this day into Hug an HIV Positive Person Day. This war against HIV has been going on for thirty years and right now thirty million world wide have the disease, which twenty million people in the last thirty years have died. I am not one to harp on death because there is enough time for that in the grave. This post is about life.

In my column yesterday I wrote about how close we are to a cure. Closer than we ever have been. They have to genetically mutate our immune system but hey it is about our survival and the survival of  the human race. Not the black, yellow, white, green or blue race but the human race. 

So, today I am declaring this Hug an HIV Positive Person Day. Look at what the nation and the world has been facing in this fight and I hate to tell you this, but you don't know who is HIV positive by just looking at a person. They could be working next to you, living next to you and accomplishing more than you ever thought possible. In fact, unless they come out and tell you, you will never know for sure. If that person has the strength to be a proud and realize that their achievements and successes in life are not taken away because they are HIV positive, they will have no problem to tell you, if they are you friends. 

No, no one here is telling you to run in the streets naked, sing Hallelujah and announce that you are HIV positive. I realize that are bigots and prejudice peons still in the world. I agree that you have to be careful who you tell because some people are mean and will use your information against you. I would love to say that in 2012 everybody is past this type of thinking because prejudice never realize their ignorance until it is their family member or themselves in the same bay as everybody else. 

A hug cost nothing and support from some, is worth more than insincere caring from others. Hug the nearest HIV  positive person close to you. I promise you it is the best medicine we have right now.