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Page 6 Clark Atlanta University Panther HE SAIDl? November 13, 1991 By William Blackburn Editorial Page Editor Well, well, well. AIDS has finally hit the big time Hollywood style with a little 'magic.' Once considered an isolated disease that only affected homosexuals, the HIV virus was in heterosexual prime time last week. Eyes around the nation turned misty as Earvin "Magic" Johnson stood before millions and announced that he was indeed human and had contracted the deadly AIDS virus. Within minutes the magic man would go from a basketball God to a safe sex crusader. However, if I didn't know any better I would swear that Magic is the first person to be infected with HIV. At least that's how everyone is acting. But I have a secret for you - there are over one million other people who also have the HIV virus. It should come as no surprise that a famous person has contracted the virus. You see this society is so fascinated with M&M's (Money and Material items) that those who appear on television and have big bank accounts are placed on a pedestal. Groupies who run around trying to see how many stars they can sleep with shadow people like Magic Johnson 24 hours a day. The thing that surprises me is that Magic is the first athlete to come forward and admit that he has the disease. Because I seriously doubt that the basketball phenomenon is the only athlete running around with HIV. People seem to be shocked about this whole situation. If anything I'm shocked at the response and attention this situation is getting. AIDS was here long before Magic and it will be here long after Magic is gone. Now everybody is running out to buy all types of condoms and safe sex booklets because if Magic can get it so can I. Give me a break. If people needed something like this to happen to make them realize the affects of AIDS, then something is seriously wrong with society. Don't get me wrong, I feel sorry for Magic, but I don't need him to make me aware of the dangers of sex. That should come from self education. AIDS is no joke. It has no friends and will tiy to infect every Black person that it can. It is obvious that society is confused about AIDS. Magic contracts the virus and people treat him like a hero. A man in Atlanta two weeks ago told his manager at his job (Winn Dixie) that he had the virus and he was immediately terminated. So what's the deal? 1 guess j 'ople have double standards with AIDS like they do with everything else. Because I'm sure if Magic was not a superstar, society could have cared less about him and his HIV problems. Magic is not the first Black man to have the AIDS virus. But he is the first Black man to catch the disease and not have society cast him aside. When I first heard the news about the Magic man I was stunned. Oh, no not Magic. But once I thought about it my shock turned to anger. Anger at the ignorant White scientists who conspired to infect the Black community with this disease and anger at the promiscuous sexual activity that goes on in our community. Magic knew better. Here's a Black man who has taken his God given talents and used them to their fullest potential. He worked hard to become the best. And he succeeded. Before he retired last week the man was a 6'9" magician. Could handle the basketball like it was a yo-yo. Could rebound like he was 8’2" and could whip a pass through a defender as though the defense wasn't even there. The man was awesome. But more importantly, Earvin 'Magic' Johnson made it look like so much fun. For years he had the Los Angeles at the top. Always the team to beat. He was the ultimate competitor - laughing in joy and grimacing in defeat. Some people know how to play and some know how to win. Magic Johnson knew how to do both. But Magic knew better. He knew the price of success. He knew the benefits that came with success. Magic knew about safe sex and AIDS. He knew better and we all know better. Many Black men have died from the AIDS disease, but I guess they died in vain because only now does it appear that the Black community is waking up and realizing the ills of AIDS. It is sad that such a positive person like Magic had to be sacrificed, but if we don’t come to our senses you, me and every other Black person will be infected with this death disease. This truly may be the best assist Magic has ever thrown, but we should have been hip to the AIDS game long before now. If Magic had not been infected some other Black would have ignorantly stepped in and replaced him, because until we wise up and realize that AIDS is here to stay it will continue to plague our community. By Sheryl Kennedy Editor-in-Chief Once again I would like to thank the world of sports for making America wake up. Since the magician of basketball, Earvin Johnson, has publicly admitted that he has the HIV virus, America is stunned and is motivated to do something about encouraging safe sex. And I believe that's wonderful, but why now? Why does it take a superstar to prove a point or stress how important a situation may be? Like the Bud Dry commercial says, 'why ask why'. In my eyes, Magic is no different from you or me. He talks, walks and breathes just like us. Yes, he is a terrific athlete, but we are all terrific students as well as human beings so what's the big difference between us and Magic? To me there is no difference. No one is better than the next person. We are all one in the same. When something unfortunate happens to a athlete, movie star or entertainer we are saddened. disappointed and shocked. Yet, on the other hand, when one of our so called friends acquires a venereal disease we laugh and joke as if it were really funny. We make sly comments about how our friend got the gonorrhea, crabs or herpes, and how stupid they are or pass rumors about them living a promiscuous lifestyle when we are living the same way. It's just that they got caught and we didn’t. It's as simple as that. Why is that a joke or grounds to spread rumors or entertain gossip? Why is it funny to see another brother or sister doing bad not because he is a bad person but because he made a mistake that anyone could have made. Who knows who could be next on the bad luck list.' The positive response for Magic is great. I only hope that the warmth we extend to a man we don't know can be extended to people we do know and see everyday. Who knows who will be next. It could be you or me and I’m not too sure if we fit in the superstar category, so our applause may be overshadowed with boos. I want us all to stop pointing the finger and laughing at another ordinary brother or sister who is down and be compassionate. Magic did wonders for the world oi sports. He has served as a hero and role model to millions of Black children and adults. He deserves all the respect he receives. But Magic's promiscuity shouldn't make him a hero alone. We must remember AIDS is serious business and everyone it touches is its prisoner. Just food for thought. AIDS I9tfO‘%MS¥riONL ♦AIDS stands for acquired immune deficiency syndrome *AIDS is a fatal diseas with no known cure ♦AIDS originated as a heterosexual disease in Africa ♦The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is the virus that causes AIDS ♦AIDS is collection of diseases caused by a viral attack on the body's immune system. ♦People don't actually die of AIDS, they die of pneumonia or cancer or one or more of the other diseases that characterize the syndrome ♦Blacks and Hispanics in the United States are more likely than Whites to acquire AIDS through heterosexual sex ♦A woman can get AIDS easier from a man than a man can get it from a woman ♦Condoms, when properly used, work 99 percent of the time in the preventing the spead of the AIDS virus ♦Because young people are more likely to have multiple sexual partners AIDS is spreading quickly amongl7-to-30-year-olds RACE OF VICTIMS The toll-free hotline men women a m a i III lilt? , number for AIDS I B Black information is 1-800- ^ Hispanic 551-2728. | Other races are less than /%