Corsair staff editorial

We wonder how the disheartening re-election of George W. Bush will affect not only people who are living with HIV/AIDS but also the students among us who choose to comply with the plague that won't go away. While we did not consciously choose to do a retrospective of this magnitude as a response to the second act of Bush's America, the inherent messages of HIV/AIDS need to be heard more urgently than ever. If the election results seem to indicate that we are entering a period of divisiveness that could destroy what little remains of our country's credibility, largely based on some distorted version of morality, how will the myriad heated issues that surround HIV/AIDS be dealt with?

The gay marriage brouhaha barely suggests the potential degree of outright hatred that could be aimed at drug addicts and homosexuals who are AIDS-infected as well as AIDS-affected, many of whom are also further being targeted for being black or Hispanic. The morality lines are being drawn and will be reflected in every move by Bush and his band of bigots, homophobes, religious fanatics, racists and conservative zealots.

If truth sets us free, we must steel ourselves for years of emotional and spiritual imprisonment. The institutionalization of America, replete with media-based conglomerates, has resulted in feeding the masses with lies, distortions and outright propaganda.

The subtle and not-so-subtle silencing of voices that do not ascribe to the dictates of the sullied White House is in full force.

In spite of the overwhelming obstacles that will undoubtedly be designed to discourage and defeat us, we must not allow ourselves to become complacent in regards to discriminating our stories with authenticity, and without shame.