Thug Life and HIV/AIDS
I recent read the article "The drugs, imprisonment, and HIV/AIDS connection" by Nekima Levy-Pounds in the "Insight" community journal. She talks about how the war on drugs has resulted in disproportionate numbers of blacks being incarcerated. She cites this high rate of incarceration as being a major contributing factor to the spread of HIV/AIDS in the black community. In prison, men sometimes have both voluntary and involuntary sexual interactions with one another. Since they are not provided with condoms in prison, the risk for the transmission of HIV/AIDS and other STD's is very high. When the men eventually are released from prison, they return to their families and loved ones, possibly spreading any infections that they may have picked up while in prison.
I found Levy-Pounds' article to be really provocative and insightful. She makes an important connection between the high rates of incarceration in the black community and the incidence of HIV/AIDS. I had heard before how the war on drugs has resulted in disproportionate numbers of blacks being imprisoned, thereby furthering poverty among African Americans. As my fellow soldier Tupac Shakur once stated, "Instead of war on poverty, they got a war on drugs, so the police can bother me." The war on drugs, rather than helping impoverished communities, is instead exacerbating the vicious cycle of poverty and drug abuse. Levy-Pounds brings up another negative consequence of the war on drugs with the HIV/AIDS connection. We can see that the war on drugs is an example of institutional racism. There is no race specific language in any of the laws, but we can see that the war on drugs has disproportionately had a negative effect on the black community. Even though discrimination is supposed to be illegal, we do not live in a colorblind society where everyone has equal life chances. We must be aware of these injustices and fight the good fight for equality. Freedom fighters unite!
to once again borrow the words of brother shakur:
"a coward dies a thousand deaths... a soldier dies but once"
Comments
It's very unfortunate that discrimination also plays a part on HIV/AIDS impact on the blacks community. I found that African has the highest HIV/AIDS prevalance rate in the world. I surely heard about stories like the one about the prisoners, but did you know that gender inequality is another big factor responsible for HIV/AIDS in the blacks community? I read book about Zambia, women there are treated as inferior to men. Many girls are not respected by the family and sadly even raped by their own family members. Polygamy is legal and men are allowed to have multiple wives. Prostitutions also contribute to the spread of HIV/AIDS throughout the community.
You're right, we must be aware of all these issues. It is unfortunate that this world is not equal for everyone, but I guess if we all aware of these injustices, if not completely eliminate the problem, it would at least help reduces the HIV/AIDS pandemic.
Posted by: Nhien Chau | February 20, 2007 10:30 AM
I have also read articles about the disproportionate number of blacks in jail, as well as the issue of HIV/AIDS connected to it. In previous classes I have also done papers on the discrimination of blacks in the community. I think that althoug there is awarness of the problem, many people either don't care, or don't have any idea as to what to do about it.
Concerning the issue of blacks in jail and HIV/AIDS, I find it alarming that while these facts are know, as far as I know there is not really much being done to prevent it. I also think that more people should be aware of the HIV/AIDS issues, especailly thos who are in jail, and thos leaving jail, not only for their safety, but for the safefy of people that they then come in contact with.
As far as the war on drugs goes, I think that in theory it was meant well, but I also believe that there is no way it will ever be successful, and I also agree that certain areas of the population, such as blacks, are unfairly targeted.
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