Watch What YOU SAY!

I was more then stoked when I was told that CNN's Anderson Cooper would be doing a special show on HIV/AIDS and how it is in the world 30 years later. I smiled big when I read that photos had been sent to the show that had been taken for the greaterthanAIDS campaign and just might flash on the screen during the show! I mean just a picture is better then nothing, it is CNN!

When my family and I tuned into the show we set and listened to everything that was being spoken on and though I knew most of the information I was able to break down and explain what some of the things met for my younger brothers. I thought the content of the show was really good and I enjoyed listening.

Around the middle of the hour long talk show before a commerical break a video clip of NBA Hall of Famer, Kareem Abdul Jabbar popped on the screen and he spoke a little about when he found out that his friend Professional Tennis player Author Ashe (7/10/43 - 2/6/93) was HIV postive. He spoke on the positive way Mr. Ashe took his status. Thats good, right Lolisa you may ask.... The goal of the clip was good however the content in which Mr. Jabbar words were spoken was not. As I sit in the room with my two younger brothers who are both trying to learn as much as they can about the virus both their mother and sister has, I was taken back when I heard Mr. Jabbar say "...after he caught the AIDS Virus..." while speaking of his friend.

I kind of jumped out of my seat when he said that. I repeated the sentence to my brothers and asked them what was wrong with it...

"HIV is the the virus right, not AIDS." Responds the older brother of the two

I smiled not only beacuse he was right but because this is something that I think he learned just from being around me and always hearing me talking the lauguage.

When Kareem Abdul Jabbar said that his friend CAUGHT AIDS he was wrong in the fact that a person can not CATCH AIDS. AIDS is a stage of HIV. HIV being the virus. A person must become infected with HIV from another person who is HIV positive and depending on the person's immue sytsem and how the virus is attacting it, that person's HIV may or may not turn into AIDS.

I personally have nothing against Kareem Abdul Jabbar and I think it was great of him to share how someone he knew took a positive HIV status and did something positive about it. I do think that the content of his video clip should have been better reviewed before the show aired. I can only imagine how many people of all walks could have been watching the show and if they did hear that and didnt know the difference what they may have thought.

Its just really something to think about and its always important to WATCH what YOU SAY!!!

Needless to say, the above photo is one of the ones that was flashed during the show of me and my son Daryl Jr.