Orion

Post #45,361 by Ashton 7/12/02 6:10:31 PM Reply	Orion please go to your room.
Post #45,368 by orion 7/12/02 6:33:31 PM Reply	What? All I am saying is that kids barely understand Cooties, an imaginary bug. How are they going to understand what HIV is or how the person got infected? *I am free now, to choose my own destiny.*
Post #45,373 by Ashton 7/12/02 7:01:14 PM Reply	Fair enough. They won't "understand"... most! of what they receive mere hints-of. Not say, The Social Contract and lots else implicit in being told they are part of a society. And so on. Puppets aren't about 'education', they are about a kind of infotainment. The idea can be overdone; a good one turned into a useless one (the way we Always do: Oooh!! that was a Good Movie; let's make 12 awful sequel$ $oon.) Not gonna debate then, "what belongs on a good infotainment list". We still live in a country in which there remain pressure groups against education about biology, gender, sex, birth control, ___. My aim would be for tots to be introduced gradually to the sort of non-fairy tale world they actually dwell in, lest they freak when they hear whispered to them by ignorant peers: a really screwed-up version. In brief: it's enough that they have just Some awareness that Something called 'HIV' has some nasty consequences for: anyone who imagines that ignorance will protect them. Later on.. they will acquire knowledge at levels they can manage. Ditto re crack or any other glitch - hell: explain "Wars on___" to them! Explain that these are "our culture's way" of Not-dealing with matters by - giving them cute names and locking up a bunch of folks. This because we dare not address root causes of Anything - we want just a quick fix of the 'symptoms' (just like our medicine). A Kid can Understand that! - only adults have trouble understanding that. Ashton
Post #45,375 by orion 7/12/02 7:23:57 PM Reply	Sex Education Usually we wait until they are pre-teens to educate them on Sex, STD, HIV, ETC not create a muppet to tell them when they are 3 years old. *I am free now, to choose my own destiny.*
Post #45,470 by Brandioch 7/13/02 2:41:14 PM Reply	I'm wondering how they will do it. If the character is active and outgoing, where's the link to HIV? No sex and there isn't much about blood transfusions or sharing needles on the regular show. If it was a religion, it could be illustrated with artifacts and ceremonies from that religion. If it was a nationality, it could be illustrated with a language. And so on. Unless the character develops AIDS or has to stay on a drug routine, just saying "Hi! I'm HIV positive, let's play jump rope!" will NOT mean anything to the kids. "Hi! I'm HIV positive and I might develop AIDS and die. Let's play jump rope!" Meaningless tripe from people who are still too afraid of the stigmatism to do anything worthwhile.
Post #45,488 by orion 7/13/02 7:16:22 PM Reply	More than likely the girl will be born HIV positive from her mother, who died, and she doesn't know what happened to her mother except that she died. Of course they won't explore this too much on the show, just mention that she has HIV. Then the other muppets start talking to her and having fun. *I am free now, to choose my own destiny.*
Post #45,617 by boxley 7/15/02 9:48:09 AM Reply	Bert Held her down while Earnie says how sorry they are that she is sick :) thanx, bill TAM ARIS QUAM ARMIPOTENS
Post #45,531 by tuberculosis 7/14/02 7:00:08 AM Reply	HIV's got nothing to do with sex. Especially in this context. Hypotheically, if there were an industrial accident that released a chemical that produced a high incidence of, say, diabetes in that country, then we would be seeing the diabetic muppet. Its about sharing understanding of one anothers viewpoints and generating empathy. I think its a fine idea. The average hunter gatherer works 20 hours a week. The average farmer works 40 hours a week. The average programmer works 60 hours a week. What the hell are we thinking?
Post #45,532 by wharris2 7/14/02 7:05:45 AM Reply	Nothing to do with sex? You must have missed the report that came out within the past two or three days that pretty much said HIV was almost entirely about sex. Previously, they'd thought it was mostly due to needle sharing between an HIV possitive and a non-HIV positive, but this recent study seems to have debunked it - of course, that's only until the next study. I had several blood transfuions in 1984 and I suppose I should count myself lucky that I didn't contract HIV or Hepetitus C, as they weren't really doing anything to look for them at the time. Famous last RPG quotes: "I'll just shoot this fireball down the dungeon passageway..."
Post #45,608 by Yendor 7/15/02 9:22:00 AM Reply	Incorrect statement HIV has a LOT to do with sex. That might not be its only form of transportation, but your message title, when taken by itself, is rather completely off-base. Yes, it can be spread by other means, such as intravenous needle-sharing (whether drug-related or not), or blood transfusions. Basically, any time that infected blood meets non-infected blood, there's a chance that the person with non-infected blood will become infected. However that "chance meeting" comes about, and for however long the contact lasts. -YendorMike What if the hokey pokey really is what it's all about? - Jimmy Buffett, June 20, 2002, Tinley Park
Post #45,748 by tuberculosis 7/16/02 9:03:11 AM Reply	Not in this context Muppets generally model pre-teen children. HIV can be contracted sexually - yes. How many HIV+ pre-teen children have contracted it that way though? Study schmudy. Your studies you two are quoting are studies about adults. Go get me a study with a sample group closely matching the Sesame Street demographic and come back here and tell me its still all about sex. Applying moral stigma to a non-sexually-transmitted-disease victim is clear and present ignorance. But apparently common. The average hunter gatherer works 20 hours a week. The average farmer works 40 hours a week. The average programmer works 60 hours a week. What the hell are we thinking?
Post #45,752 by Yendor 7/16/02 9:16:28 AM Reply	Removing context... Muppets generally model pre-teen children. Agreed. HIV can be contracted sexually - yes. Also agreed. How many HIV+ pre-teen children have contracted it that way though? Study schmudy. Your studies you two are quoting are studies about adults. Go get me a study with a sample group closely matching the Sesame Street demographic and come back here and tell me its still all about sex. Where, oh where, did I quote any form of "study"? Applying moral stigma to a non-sexually-transmitted-disease victim is clear and present ignorance. But apparently common. Ignorance. Of all the people to call ignorant on the topic of AIDS, you choose me. Right. The guy who's ridden his bike (currently) over 2,800 miles in the last year and 3 months to battle the disease about which we speak. And the one who volunteers at a local AIDS charity. Uh huh. Ignorant. I also rather clearly removed the entire concept of "context" from my reply to your message. Yes, you included it in your post, but the fact remains that your chosen title (HIV's got nothing to do with sex.) is a blatantly incorrect statement when taken out of context. And the fact also is that most people will see the title, taken out of context of your reply, before they read or see your reply. -YendorMike What if the hokey pokey really is what it's all about? - Jimmy Buffett, June 20, 2002, Tinley Park
Post #45,765 by tuberculosis 7/16/02 10:58:35 AM Reply	Sorry, it was the other response. RE: Study - sorry - that was the sibling message that mentioned a recent study. Ignorance was also not directed at you specifically - but rather the general objecting populace at large - sorry man. Of course, if HIV is primarily an STD and you're riding cycles with seatage of modern design, I suspect you get safer and safer every mile. (Honest I'm not getting back on one of those things until they bring back the banana seat). The average hunter gatherer works 20 hours a week. The average farmer works 40 hours a week. The average programmer works 60 hours a week. What the hell are we thinking?

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