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George, I think you have hit the nail on the head. Part of the problem is that the public identifies PD with old age. Sure, lots of PWPs are older, but lots are younger too. There is a sizeable segment of PWPs of childbearing, childrearing age. When we first heard about AIDS the popular misconception was that everybody who had it was gay and strung out on drugs. Now we identify it with "the strongest, brightest of our future" Somehow we need to do the same sort of public relations job for PD. Maybe we can call ourselves "the caretakers of the next generation"? Any more ideas? If I exist, there must be others out there like me. Hilary Blue George J. Lussier wrote: > > Dear Colleagues, > In addition to having some reliable data on the numbers of PWP it would be useful to look at another level of the "big picture" on PD. It would be best if you would be willing to play a little mind game.Picture in your mind's eye a person with AIDS.....hold that image. Look at the picture carefully,notice any detail you think important. OX? Good Now get up and walk across the room and clear your mind of the person with AIDS. Next I want you to do the same routine with a PWP. OK? Now lets compare images. THIS IS WHAT I COME UP WITH > > PERSON WITH AIDS PWP > AGE 27 64 > SEX MALE FEMALE > AGE AT ONSET YOUNG 50 > STYLE AT ONSET DRAMATIC/SUDDEN CHRONIC > OCCUPATION PROFESSIONAL COLLEGE HOUSE MOTHER > REMINDS ME OF WHO MY FRIENDS CHILDREN MY AUNT MARGARET > LASTING IMAGE THE YOUNGEST,BRIGHTEST MY PRESENT SWEET LADY > OUR FUTURE > > I'm sure each of us had a different image but you got to give the AIDS community credit.They created an image of the kids next door. Hell your kids! The bright,the future of America. Just the issue that drove many people into the anti-war movement in Vietnam. Our young flowers were being plucked > I don't know why I picked my Aunt Margaret except that I love her. There are 4 or more people in my own support group that I think of as examples of "essential thinkers" that we can't allow to slip away....a 35 year old woman with a 5 year old,a PhD, a DSi and a woman who gave up her successful business to take care of her husband > > Look above and tell me who you would give your money to if you weren't so well informed. What the AIDS community has managed to do is to create what, to steal from a title of one Dennis Greene's article, is known as a "Terrible Beauty". And for that you got to love them. > > we need to create a more accurate image of who our PWP really are and how do we do this? WHY WE HIRE SOME ACTIVISTS FROM THE AIDS CAMP WITH MONEY COMING FROM THE LARGE PD ORGANIZATIONS. AS I SEEM TO REMEMBER THE AIDS MONEY STARTED FLOWING WHEN THEIR NUMBERS WERE LESS THEN A 100,000**, ONE FIFTH OF OUR LOWEST ESTIMATES.THEY DID A WONDERFUL JOB AT PROJECTING FIGURES.By the way, this idea [of having the big organizations pay for every thing] is nothing new.It was most recently talked about on this list about a year ago, > > ** Please don't quote me on these figures. the theme is right but > the numbers may not be and I can't recall the source. > > george