Apparently, almost half of the black population in the US thinks that AIDS was developed in a lab and that there is a cure but it is being intentionally withheld from the poor. A survey, reported on in today's Washington Post, also says that 15% of blacks surveyed believe that AIDS was created as a method of genocide against them. 40% say that either the government or the CIA developed it. It made me feel a little better though that 75% believe medical and public health folks are working hard to try to stop its spread.
It is unbelievable to me that people in America still think this way. I was really surprised by this article, and the opinions expressed by a professor (yes, they actually let this guy teach) who says that African American lives are not valued because they are more likely to live near pollution and far from health care. At least there are some guys out there who are trying to change these views though. The Post interviewed the head of the Black AIDS Institute in LA who basically said that people need to wake up and realize that past discrimination is no excuse for these conspiracy theories. People are more likely, if they think this is all a conspiracy, to not be as safe in AIDS-prone situations, such as sex and drugs, because they figure why should they bother.
Kinda scary from where I sit....
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