I spent a few minutes listening to Steve Gill this morning. I get a little restless with The Wakeup Zone once my fellow Terp Frank Wycheck leaves at 9:00am, so I start pushing buttons and searching for other talk options.

Today, Mr. Gill was discussing the embrace of the need for AIDS awareness by Hollywood. He believes that people on the Left Coast bring attention to AIDS as a way of promoting a gay and lesbian lifestyle that involves “perverse” sexual activity. That’s right! Betcha didn’t know those little red ribbons shoot invisible beams that turn people into flaming homosexuals. Do you know the real reason that Senator Obama stopped wearing the American flag pin? He was tired of supporters breaking into “God Bless America” every time he turned in their direction. Yep … patriotic beams!

Mr. Gill used a tone of disdain for gays and seemed to imply the ridiculous notion that AIDS is a punishment for being gay. Yes, this disease started in the gay community more than 25 years ago, but its effects have been felt by people from all backgrounds (just ask Ryan White or the college student who had sex in 1985 with her unknowingly infected boyfriend). Where is the compassion and respect for a human being regardless of your thoughts on his lifestyle?

I believe that, in 2007 America, most new cases of HIV infection are the result of poor decisions. There is enough education now concerning safe sex and clean needles that people should be able to protect themselves. Blood tranfusions are now expected to be safe. I was part of one of the first high school classes that had Health as a graduation requirement, and the decision to add this course was a direct result of AIDS. And, to be honest, I would vote to more money into research for cancer or Alzeheimers than AIDS any day. All this being said, I would never say that a person deserved to get AIDS or that a push for a cure was meant to excuse dangerous behavior.

Side (Related) Note: I’m a huge fan of The Soup and I try to catch it every Friday night ( at least when I’m not out getting wasted and dancing on tables). Joel McHale made a brilliant point which, to paraphrase, was something like, “Gay couples can’t get married but Pamela Anderson and Rick Solomon … each of whom has public sex tapes and previous divorces … can get married between performances of Ms. Anderson’s new Vegas show. That makes sense”. As Fred Thompson believes, let the states decide!