Education is the Key...to everything

Education is the Key...to everything

When my ordeal is over..mind you WHEN not IF...

The central pillar to my life and my goals as an issue is Education.

This piece may be from UNAIDS about HIV education..it rings true to the broader idea that through education we can tackle anything!

I remember watching Carl Sagan in the original COSMOS series and am completely addicted to Neil deGrasse Tyson taking the helm and continuing Sagan's march at exposing a new generation to science and education.

The fight against HIV has seen amazing progress in just the last 2 years all through the innovation and education in the science and medical community.

It was because of all the advances in HART drugs that a Republican President signed the change in law removing HIV as a communicable disease...HIV is defined as one of the many chronic manageable diseases.

HIV is not a death sentence.  It's more easily managed than diabetes.  I use that comparison because my family has a long history of diabetics and I've seen the effects of that disease over a lifetime.

As the people who know me best, my friends and family, I am not capable of hurting anyone...I am a person who has always been the "protector"
Its the way i was raised...

I opened my door to a person who was in need...my family was there with me...but yet, for whatever reason this person had decided to use the knowledge about my HIV status as a tool, to cover up his own actions, and as he put it on his facebook page.."be emancipated from the Army"

Its because of the lack of education about HIV, the Army and the few individuals involved, buried in their fear and discrimination about HIV, decided to bring charges against me...not for infecting anyone but this empty fear based "Exposure" charge...without any evidence of an assault or facts to prove anything...just a disturbed young man's allegation...thats all.

I am not afraid of putting my face out there as an HIV+ man.  Healthy with an amazing family and group of friends...

I will never stop professing my innocence and pray daily that I will be vindicated by the Army Appellate panel reviewing my case.

I can only hope that with EDUCATION, in any form...formal or informal, that we can put an end to the virus, and put an end to the fear and discrimination these 3 letters H-I-V.