There are two issues I’d like to tackle, both in the spirit of World Aids Day. Although memory of my time in Leeds is quickly fading into a blur of nights out and hurriedly submitted assignments, I do miss my time at university. Every night there was an organised orgy of drunk students filling nightclubs. Girls wearing short skirts with their asses hanging out. Makeup covered faces, resembling a cross between a bum shaking dancer from an American hip hop video and a working girl prowling the streets of Kings Cross. The boys prance around in their moronic slogan ridden Top Man t-shirts, drooling at anything with a bit of boob on show before advancing ape like towards their prey and rubbing their crotches up against their unsuspecting victim hoping not to get rejected for the third time that night. As the evening got later, each were pairing off for their own personal after party. Starting with a kiss on the dance floor, continuing with a stumble into a cab, a light fumble on the way home, and to finish with 15 minutes of sweaty thrusting before passing out.
Sex was on the brain of every student, every night. Everyone was at it. Well, except for me. It wasn’t like I didn’t get any sex while at university, rather instead of a weekly jaunt under the covers, like everyone else, it was more of an annual romp. Unsurprising considering my chubby exterior and fast receding hairline.
With limited personal experience, I would enjoy the tales provided by my buddies and their fleeting encounters with the opposite sex. What struck me, was the consistent failure of many to wear a condom. Some would even claim that if your partner was Jewish, there was little risk of catching an STI. Others believed that the girl being on the pill would be some kind of protection. The myth of Jewish immunity to passing and catching Sexually Transmitted Infections was commonplace at university. This is the myth I choose to dispel. Jews have sex while at university, and Jews catch STI’s while at university. If you don’t rubber up while sleeping with someone who hasn’t been tested, you’re an idiot. And if you have had unprotected sex, do us all a favour and go and get yourself tested.
My second target for abuse, is a Mr Pope Benedict XVI. Africa, a predominantly Catholic continent, has an aids problem. 25 million people in Africa have aids, and about 2 million die of it every year. The Pope’s claims that using a Condom increase the chances of catching aids, is not just wrong, it is perpetuating the largest genocide of our time. Although I would normally argue vehemently against the death penalty, for you Mr Pope, I would make an exception.
I agree with your primary point. I do think, however, that you’re using the word genocide a bit, well, wrongly here. When we use such terms imprecisely they lose their impact and devalue the actual cases of genocide. Darfur is a genocide, because it is the targeted eradication of a certain ethnic/racial group. The Pope is ‘killing’ Catholics who do not follow the dictates of the Catholic church concerning sexual behavior (abstinence until marriage and then monogamy), regardless of race, sex, or place of habitation. I think it is a fair statement to say that he bears at least part of the responsibility for many of the AIDS deaths in Africa, but lets save the word genocide for actual genocides.
By: Eitan on December 3, 2009
at 7:53 pm
I think it’s completely fair to use the word ‘genocide’ in this context. The Pope is knowingly adding to an overwhelming death toll. It’s no question that genocide is taking place.
By: Randy on December 7, 2009
at 11:02 pm
1. I have to completely agree with Eitan- genocide is an irresponsible world. It is like people calling Israeli’s NAZIs. Sure, Israel treats Palestinians pretty horiffically, but they do not systematically try and exterminate every one of a particular heritage. Using extreme terms blurs any distinctions between bad things, is indicative of a black-white view of morality and relatavises “evil” to whichever qualm you currently have.
2. Isn’t it funny how people only listen to the Pope on certain things? People wouldn’t dream of having an abortion or wearing a condom, but don’t mind having sex before marriage or only attending mass once-a-year on Christmas. The same is true for Jews who wouldn’t think twice about breaking Shabbat but where only 3% of Israelis give their organs when they die (compared to 30% in other countries). They do so for ‘religious’ reasons even though, on the whole, it is halachically allowed.
It indicates to me that what religious leaders say is just a ‘crotch’ for people to do what they want to do anyway. If the Pope wants to say that ideally people wouldn’t wear condoms and wouldn’t be having promiscuous sex (and yes, i know, not all cases of aids are contracted in this way), then let him. Ideally, he’d take a more pragmatic view, but both propositions taken together are morally okay. It’s people’s attitudes that need changing instead.
By: Neil on December 7, 2009
at 11:42 pm
I kind of agree with Neil. (Good name btw…)
I think perhaps genocide is a bit too far. BUT (and it’s a BIG ‘BUT’) it is murder. I mean, if you knowingly allow another person to die or contract an illness such as HIV then you are guilty of a a crime.
Everyone should do all they can to stop suffering. Which is precisely what the Holy Father is not doing.
There is also a problem that somehow religious people judge the Pope on religious grounds / catholic grounds. That because he is just preaching Catholic dogma, and to Catholics, that if they decide not to follow it and have extra-marital sex, then its their fault – cause they aren’t following Catholic rules. Bullshit. Let’s talk about HUMAN values and note that, without further qualification needed, Ratzinger is facilitating mass death. Plain and simple.
By: neil brodie on December 8, 2009
at 1:10 am
oh, and I think Neil means ‘crutch’ (‘Crotch’ is the space between a man’s upper thighs…)
By: neil brodie on December 8, 2009
at 1:11 am
it would be funny if it were not that sad. i know few girls around 20 who already have kids. its sad stories and broken lifes. nothing is more stupid nowadays then propaganda of this pope…
By: ilona@israel on January 3, 2010
at 5:01 pm