Comments on: Remember the Mustard-Yellow Condoms? A Look at the District’s Tortured Response to the AIDS Crisis http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/citydesk/2009/03/23/remember-the-mustard-yellow-condoms-a-look-at-the-districts-tortured-response-to-the-aids-crisis/ D.C. News, Politics, Media, Arts, and More Mon, 23 Nov 2009 16:34:09 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.1 hourly 1 By: andrew http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/citydesk/2009/03/23/remember-the-mustard-yellow-condoms-a-look-at-the-districts-tortured-response-to-the-aids-crisis/comment-page-1/#comment-523737 andrew Tue, 07 Apr 2009 12:21:37 +0000 http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/citydesk/?p=18801#comment-523737 David, you couldn't be more wrong. Governments and other policy level interventions can do all manner of things to elicit behavior change from citizens/residents. Raising taxes on tobacco products or gasoline. Providing anonymous (vs confidential) HIV testing or clean needles to IDUs. Requiring 100% condom use in foreign brothels. The list goes on and on. They may certainly entertain crazy notions about sex and they may embark on programs that are not derived from what communities themselves would want, but it is completely wrong to say that their policies can't influence human behavior for the better (or worse). David, you couldn't be more wrong. Governments and other policy level interventions can do all manner of things to elicit behavior change from citizens/residents. Raising taxes on tobacco products or gasoline. Providing anonymous (vs confidential) HIV testing or clean needles to IDUs. Requiring 100% condom use in foreign brothels. The list goes on and on. They may certainly entertain crazy notions about sex and they may embark on programs that are not derived from what communities themselves would want, but it is completely wrong to say that their policies can't influence human behavior for the better (or worse).

]]> By: patrick http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/citydesk/2009/03/23/remember-the-mustard-yellow-condoms-a-look-at-the-districts-tortured-response-to-the-aids-crisis/comment-page-1/#comment-508826 patrick Tue, 24 Mar 2009 18:19:28 +0000 http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/citydesk/?p=18801#comment-508826 Governments can spend all they want, but they cannot persuade people to change. This is proven time and again, all over the world, not just in D.C. (though D.C. is a superior case study, especially when looking at public school spending.) Can you blame D.C.'s poor for a complete distrust of their government? You can elect all the black politicians you want, but are they on the side of D.C.'s black community? I say, hell no. D.C.'s political class is color-blind, and only cares about one class: Its own. The unfortunate thing about AIDS/HIV is that those social institutions that have demonstrated the ability to persuade people - churches - adopt a wholly unrealistic policy towards sex, namely abstinence. Until church leaders find a way to encourage safe sex rather than no sex at all, this problem will continue to worsen. And as more of D.C.'s poor black community forsake all social institutions, there will be no tools left for persuasion. Governments can spend all they want, but they cannot persuade people to change. This is proven time and again, all over the world, not just in D.C. (though D.C. is a superior case study, especially when looking at public school spending.) Can you blame D.C.'s poor for a complete distrust of their government? You can elect all the black politicians you want, but are they on the side of D.C.'s black community? I say, hell no. D.C.'s political class is color-blind, and only cares about one class: Its own.

The unfortunate thing about AIDS/HIV is that those social institutions that have demonstrated the ability to persuade people - churches - adopt a wholly unrealistic policy towards sex, namely abstinence. Until church leaders find a way to encourage safe sex rather than no sex at all, this problem will continue to worsen. And as more of D.C.'s poor black community forsake all social institutions, there will be no tools left for persuasion.

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