A Response to Governor Huckabee
By Cherrell, member of the Young Women of Color Leadership Council
 Governor Huckabee's 1992 solution of "isolating" people living with HIV or AIDS is not a responsible resolution. Since it was only 10 years into the AIDS epidemic, we could dismiss his idea as coming from ignorance and fear. But 15 years later, there is no excuse. As a Presidential candidate in 2007, sticking to this "isolation" belief is more than ignorance, it is dangerous.
Instead of increasing awareness and providing comprehensive education about HIV and AIDS, our society has played the blame game. First, we blamed homosexuals. Then, we blamed injection drug users. Next, we blamed street sex workers or persons who identify as exchanging sex for money or drugs.
More recently, our society has begun to blame young people while our federal government, and people like Governor Huckabee, advocate for withholding information from these same young people about ways to protect themselves from contracting HIV. The Huckabees of the world would have us all believe that young people are promiscuous and with that promiscuity comes the plague of AIDS.
Placing blame has never resolved a problem. It may make some people feel better; it may buy into other people's bigotry. But, it doesn't solve the problem.
It is time for our government and our society to be accountable for the longevity of the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Racism, classism, homophobia have all contributed to spreading HIV. After all, it is youth, communities of color and women through heterosexual contact who are the major victims of this disease. If only Fortune 500 CEOs contracted HIV, there'd be a cure by now.
Racism in itself is a plague, but you don't see government officials going through neighborhoods, one by one, isolating the racists who continue to stunt the growth of our nation and the unity thereof.
I wonder if Governor Huckabee would be willing to kiss his own relatives goodbye if they contracted HIV. Would he simply stand by and wave as they were isolated due to other’s ignorance?
So many people have already suffered, and continue to suffer, discrimination because of the ignorance and fear related to HIV. Surely, we don't need a President who advocates for more discrimination.
Often the resolution to a critical problem is not the first thing that comes to the mind, especially not for a person who is uneducated about the problem. The key to stopping HIV/AIDS is education, awareness, and prevention. Without these things we will continue to spread of the virus.
HIV is more tactful than our society has been. It doesn't discriminate. All races, genders, ages and economic levels are subject to its reach. Pointing the finger of blame or “isolating” people is not the answer. There is a need for social change that promotes behavioral change on many different levels. Our faith-based organizations, educational institutions, medical institutions, and individuals all have a role to play in conquering this pandemic. But until we hold our government and those who would lead it, like Governor Huckabee, accountable for bad policies that spread ignorance, fear and shame, we cannot fully take the necessary steps to finally confront HIV and AIDS.
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