When Silence Is a Sin

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Suppose, for example, that the black intellectuals who have been burning up the Internet to castigate the alleged shortcomings of Harvard Professor Henry Louis Gates Jr.'s television series Wonders of the African World were to devote an equal amount of brainpower to publicizing the AIDS epidemic. They might come up with ways to make drugs more available to impoverished Africans or to build support in Congress for California Democrat Barbara C. Lee's proposal for an anti-AIDS "Marshall Plan." They might develop strategies for changing the promiscuous sexual behavior that allows the disease to spread so rapidly. At the very least, they could make sure that the world does not turn its back on the unfolding tragedy. To stand by silently would be a sin.

To help fight AIDS, contact Africare at 202-462-3614 or visit africare.org