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DA PIRATE'S TALK:
My name is
Bob Bowers. I work on the
front lines in the fight against
HIV/AIDS.
With over two decades of surviving with
this disease, it’s a great honor to be
invited back to help kick off AIDS Walk
Wisconsin 2007!
I remind myself and you, I am not a
victim, I’m not an AIDS patient, I am a
survivor! Give yourselves a huge round
of applause for sharing in my brilliant
and profound reality. Your compassion is
without a doubt, our cure!
Wisconsin is a TERRIFIC state, is it
not!? With your support, Wisconsin
remains TOPS in the Nation in caring for
those of us infected or affected by
HIV/AIDS.
In 2006, Wisconsin had NO babies born
infected with HIV. This is an absolute
victory!
Recalling a time when we had absolutely
no medications to treat HIV, we now have
over two dozen available medications and
many more in the pipeline.
Our compassionate and willful lawmakers
stand with us in the
fight against AIDS.
ARCW diligently ensures those of us
living with HIV/AIDS have access to care
and services. Through their compassion,
we are able to live with dignity and
quality. Thank you ARCW! My Camp
Heartland family provides a profound and
enduring impact in the lives of
countless thousands of children who were
born into this very adult disease. Thank
you Neil! THANK YOU to all of our state
agencies, organizations, individuals and
supporters, who remain steadfast in this
fight!
However,
HIV/AIDS remains a medical and
social crisis of global proportions!
On 9-11, four jets crashed leaving NO
survivors. Our nation declared a full
out war costing us countless billions of
dollars. In 2006 alone, roughly three
million of our brothers and sisters lost
their lives to AIDS. That is the
equivalent of TWENTY fully loaded jumbo
jets crashing daily for a year, with NO
survivors and NO war.
Rather we refer to such utter carnage as
a cause. I despise surrendering to AIDS
as a ‘cause.’ It’s a passionate and
intensely personal FIGHT! We must put
saving human lives first and declare a
full out WAR on the greatest scourge
we’ve ever known! We must muster the
political and collective will to once
and for all, END AIDS. There is no time
to relent in this fight!
We must continue advocating for the
empowerment of women and for our
brothers and sisters of color. We must
continually address issues of
homophobia, mental health poverty and
addiction! We must ensure that ALL
persons living with
HIV/AIDS are treated
with dignity and have access to care and
treatment!
Thank you for joining us in the fight.
In closing; in the words of my dear
friend, the late
Mike McKinney, “You my
dear friends are the true HEROES and SHEROES in the fight against AIDS.” Step
by step, there is no doubt we are making
a profound and lasting impact! Please
walk with renewed hope, strength and
pride! Walk with love in your hearts as
you reflect and honor the over 25
million lives lost to AIDS. My friends
never ever surrender and never ever
forget!
Namaste you fearless warriors! |
