OPEN LETTER TO THE WORLD

June 9 2007

Twenty-five years have passed and the situation regarding HIV/AIDS, the pandemic, is still hidden in some corner of the souls or brain of millions of persons, who seem not to acknowledge that forty-five million human beings have died since the beginning of the illness, back in 1980.

You could believe, with difficulty that these people who do not face the sickness do not know what HIV/AIDS is. We could imagine that they have never faced the fact of the suffering that this syndrome has caused to whole generations, leaving millions of orphaned children, with no parents, waiting for someone to have a heart and helps them survive in a difficult World, cruel and cold…

It is possible that the work, the resources, days and nights, the vigils and the tears of millions of people of persons may have passed inadvertently by people who are too busy to give out a hand and try to stop so much suffering.

One could also imagine that there are people who are so evil that they do not give a dam what happens to others, unless it touches them closely. It is easier, for many, to look to the other way.
Others establish wrong priorities backing unnecessary wars, paying for missiles, exploiting diamond mines and selling human beings as if they were cattle. The truth is that people like that exist…

They do not face the fact that there is hunger, thirst, need for a roof, clothing, shoes, and of course, medicines.

We have always been told that we should not judge. That is for others that are in higher levels. Nevertheless, these people will have to pay for their lack of action, indifference and loss of conscience.

Meanwhile, we who live with the illness or have lost dear ones through this past quarter of a century, have to, today more than ever exercise pressure so there is access to medications, a vaccine is found and finally the cure for the disease.

We have to overcome, with the knot in our throats discrimination, apathy, stigma, rejection and ignorance. This knot may be caused by pain, anger, or both.

Soon the National HIV Testing Day will come on June 27.

In Puerto Rico, as well as in other states and territories there are waiting lists, but we can not permit that this unnecessary tragedy, caused by the failure of others who do not know how to administer resources, impedes that we continue sending out the message as always: you have to get tested, get your result, and if you are positive, fight with the strength of your spirit in order to have access to medicines and treatments. We are human beings and our dignity deserves nothing less…

We include, with this letter a public service announcement in Spanish so that it is broadcasted not only in Puerto Rico, but in every state or territory where the community speaks our language.

It is thirteen seconds long, but it can save thousands of lives. Make space in your hearts and let it reach through sound waves the ears and hearts of those who have not acknowledged that they have to become responsible, not just for themselves, but for their loved ones and humanity in general…

Thank you.

Mr. José F. Colón López
AIDS Patient
Coordinator for AIDS Patients for Sane Policies
Member of the Coalition of “Unid@s Dándole Cara al SIDA”, (UDCAS), United Facing AIDS.