There are a few unfortunate constants in human history. Violence, hatred, prejudice, and stigmatism. Sometimes, all of these come together in ugly ways, causing atrocities on a mass scale. You don't even need to look into the past to see this - it's happening right now with the Israel vs Hamas conflict. Will conflict ever end?

In our everyday lives, we have to make the choice - love or fear? Will our relationship with others breed amity or animosity? Those who choose fear leave a trail of terror in their wake, and the worst part is that it doesn't take a depraved heart to act out of fear. To be human is to be born with the responsibility to not be human, that is, to not be a creature of fear. Instead, the aim is to be divine - God is love.

Children are not shielded from our worst traits. Today, I'd like to discuss a child who faced humanity and won though he lost against a foe millions of times smaller than us. The kid? Ryan White.

I hope you enjoy reading this and reflect on the bravery this boy had.

Ryan White

Little Ryan White was born in 1971 to a loving family consisting Jeanne Elaine White and Hubert Wayne. The couple divorced but this did not stop them from loving their child. As is a tradition within Judaism, Ryan was circumcised shortly after his birth.

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Notes from Holly!

At this point, it might be useful to make a slight digression. Circumcision isn't a minor operation, and plenty of complications can occur even in sterile environments. Furthermore, without the foreskin to protect the glans, it dries out and callouses.

At least 14,400 experience botched surgeries in America alone, with consequences both psychological and physical. In South Africa, botched surgeries are common when men are taken to the mountain to be circumcised, sometimes even leading to fatalities (over 150 since 2012).

Holly told me she prefers Black, uncircumcised peepee.

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Ryan White was unfortunate enough to be a statistic. Following his completely unnecessary circumcision, doctors were unable to halt the bleeding. What could the problem be?! After some tests were done, it was discovered he had a bad case of hemophilia A. You'd be forgiven for not knowing what that is.

Blood is constituted so that it turns from a liquid to a gel in the right conditions. For example, when exposed to air. Through this process, blood loss is limited. Vitamin K and specific proteins are especially important for clotting. As is the case with most biological processes, a blessing can be a blight, such as when clotting occurs internally. In other cases, coagulation doesn't occur at all, which makes any cut a potentially serious injury. This is known as coagulopathy.

Back to hemophilia A, it results from a genetic deficiency in the protein factor VIII. Those afflicted with this disease sometimes, in addition to medication, require transfusions of blood rich in factor VIII.

Little Ryan White received this treatment, and this allowed him to live a relatively normal life. He still had to be careful, as relatively minor injuries could result in him bleeding out easily or suffering from internal bleeding. However, he was in a much better position than he would have been without the medication which would have left him potentially bedridden.

Things seemed to be going well, and Jeanne was happy with her child's growth. Unfortunately, this wasn't going to be a story with a happy ending. When Ryan was around 8 years old, he developed a serious case of pneumonia. Doctors did all they could to help him, but he seemed to have a particularly vicious case of the illness.

To help them with the fight against the disease, doctors performed a lung biopsy on the young boy. Their astonishment cannot be overstated - coincidentally, they discovered that the boy's T-cell count had dropped to 25. To put things into perspective, a count below 200 per cubic milliliter is when HIV is considered to have escalated to AIDS. A healthy individual has a t-cell count of around 1,200. Things were dire for the young boy, and that was evident to anyone familiar with the case.

This was 1984. Not many people, including those in the medical industry, knew much about the disease, nor did they fully understand how it was transmitted. What was for sure is that it seemed to target four main groups: Gays, Haitians, Homosexuals, hemophiliacs, and heroin users - 4H. It was also called GRID, which stood for gay-related immune deficiency. Either name only made matters worse as it associated the illness with individuals who already lived on the outskirts of society and faced prejudice.

During this time of uncertainty, it wasn't quite clear how the disease spread. Some believed it may be airborne while others thought all body fluids were a risk factor. When it was discovered that the disease could be spread sexually, moralism tainted public education, and for many groups - not just Christians - the disease was punishment for a life lived wrongly.

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I took so much Benzos the screen is vibrating. I might take another, It's not like I've got a shortage. Quite the opposite.

Holly says to listen to MF DOOM and take as many Benzos as possible. A pill fell into my medication drawer and it disappeared. Worst feeling.

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Today, it is common knowledge that HIV isn't a punishment any more than getting diarrhea is. Far from it, there are ways to obtain it accidentally or against your will. In the case of Ryan White and his hemophiliac cohorts, it is estimated that between 1979 and 1984, 90% caught the virus. Thus, it could be considered one of the greatest medical disasters of all time.

Suffering from AIDS-related pneumonia, doctors gave the spiky-haired kid six months to live. But oh no, little Ryan had much more fight than that in him. By 1985, he suddenly began to recover, with help from doctors, of course. Most kids would mope and cry and feel intense fear, but Ryan wasn't a regular child though he wanted a regular life. After spending so much time in hospitals all he wanted to do was be a normal child and go to school. Little did he know it would be one of the biggest challenges of his life.

This challenge highlights one important thing about HIV. It is not the virus that causes the most hard. It is fear and prejudice that do that. They stop people from taking their medication, accepting their diagnoses, and coming to terms with their status. The stigma is worse than the disease.

Ryan White Goes to School

Naturally, he expected to return to Western Middle School in Russiavill. Instead of opening their arms wide in an embrace of the child, a well-signed petition and protests were held demanding Ryan not return. Some threatened to pull their children if Ryan. Talk about being persona non grata.

There are those who are good in our society and there are wicked cretins. Ryan dealt with both. When he voiced his desire to return to school, 117 parents and 50 teachers were like “nah, keep the HIV kid away”. These numbers only increased to 360 child protesters. They came together and did fundraising to pay for the legal battle to keep White away.

If you think your school days were bad, imagine this: when he was allowed to school for a day in February 2986, almost half the student body stayed home. He was also bullied and called a cute twink, queer, and homo. It wasn't like there wasn't anyone fighting for Ryan. After research, the CDC concluded that casual contact cannot spread HIV, though this did little to allay fears, triggering an arduous legal battle. Who would win? Would prejudice conquer compassion?!

White's restraining order at the school was dissolved on April 10! It was a pyrrhic victory, however. Yes, he was in school, but nobody liked him and he had no friends. He was treated differently, forcing him to use disposable utensils and a separate bathroom. Having had enough of the animosity, the family moved to Cicero, Indiana where Ryan was able to continue his education at Hamilton Heights High School.

Here, he was still ostracized, but not as badly. The school principal shook his hand, and with more information on HIV available, a few students weren't afraid to shake his hand and embrace him. I can't imagine how validating that must have felt for the young boy.

Ryan White the public figure

Ryan's fight to go to school was far from a small story. It caught the attention of America, leaving the public with divided opinions. Ryan was an HIV patient who didn't look like what people expected. He was a young, white, middle-class kid, not a homosexual or a Haitian immigrant, or a heroin user. Why, he could be any white American's kid which really made the story hit home for many.

Several public figures sympathized with the boy, including Michael Jackson, who gifted him a Ford Mustang LX 5.0, and Elton John who befriended the kid. Famously, Elton sang a song at a concert dedicated to Ryan. He also got to meet his celebrity crush, Alyssa Milano, who kissed him. Is having HIV worth kissing Alyssa Milano?

In his public appearances, Ryan advocated for education, as he believed that this would cure prejudice. He also highlighted how wrong it was to treat people differently just because of what illness they may have. In many ways, he became the face of HIV, and it was one of anti-prejudice, acceptance, and the need for education.

His influence grew large enough that he eventually spoke before the President's Commission on the. HIV Epidemic. It should be noted that part of the reason the epidemic occurred was because of the slow response from the government. Many believe this was due to homophobia, and the idea that HIV was a “gay disease”.

Ryan White's Legacy

Ryan was 18 when he contracted an AIDS-related respiratory illness that sent him to hospital and put on a ventilator. He lived before the era of ARVs, so his poor immune system finally failed and the icon died on 8 April 1990, just one month before he was due to graduate. He had a grand funeral attended by Donald Trump, Barbara Bush, Michael Jackson, and Elton John to name just a few figures who were touched by the boy's story (and in some cases had befriended him).

Fortunately, Ryan's death was not in vain. He had educated an entire nation on HIV, and while ignorance still existed, he managed to grab the ears of those in power. In response to his death, the Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resource Emergency (CARE) was passed in August of the year of his demise. This was one of many both private and public foundations that were set up in honor of Ryan White.

Needless to say, Ryan was adept at changing public perceptions of HIV. He will forever be remembered for his contributions, selflessness, and enduring fight against what is one of humanity's greatest enemies.

Conclusion

What is the meaning of life? When you are on the road, how often do you practice forgiveness instead of anger when you see the errors of others? Do you consider that you may be the one in the wrong? How far does you empathy extend, and for how long can you tolerate the all too human flaws of those around you? Think deeply about these questions, my friend, for they will tell you how much peace you have in your heart.

In some prisons, masturbation is a crime, which is something I strongly disagree with. Prisoners should have the opportunity for a dignified sexual release (not that it should be a human right of any nature). Regardless of the law, prisoners will masturbate.

The Meta Quest 3 is a waste of money. There's barely anything to do on it. Thanks for reading. Tune in next time when I discuss Adam and Eve.