Stamp Out AIDS! Part I

With The AIDS Pandemic Still A Massive Problem, What More Can We Do To Help?

Don't you find it a bit frustrating that in this incredible age of extreme science, advanced technology and medical sophistication that we have not yet come up with a total cure for HIV/AIDS? Don't you sometimes feel that with all the AIDS Awareness movements, the billions of dollars being spent on AIDS research, education and treatment along with all the free condoms, seminars and workshops, that we should be making a much bigger impact on eliminating AIDS than we have?

Everybody knows by now that the HIV/AIDS pandemic is a deadly, near apocalyptic disease that truly confronts mankind at the very core of our ability to exist. We have now reached a time in the evolution of mankind when it is safe to say that the very act of creating life has now become a real gamble of "Life or Death". The very act of pro-creation has now become a deadly game of Russian Roulettes!

What other creature in nature is at such a high level of risk purely from performing the act of procreating itself? Could there be some underlying spiritual message surrounding this deadly disease? Could this be a possible curse that mankind has earned because of his abstract and sometimes profane sexual behavior? Could God be simply trying to tell mankind something about our lifestyles and behavior but we refuse to listen to the greater message? I don't have the answer but I do have a lot of questions because I still want to help defeat any enemy of life.

Back in November of 1993 in South Central LA, in California, I founded my first tax-exempt, non-profit "Human Crisis Organization" called "Don't Give Up! Incorporated" to address several human dilemmas. That following month on Wednesday, December 1, 1993, on World AIDS Day, the US Postal AIDS Awareness Stamp went on sale.

I have been fortunate not to have contracted the AIDS disease but am very much aware of it's reality. As a straight African-American male I was always concerned about AIDS especially when so many of my people of color were suddenly becoming infected at an alarming rate. When one of my Board Member's son was diagnosed with full-blown AIDS, I created the "Gift for Life Project in Support of Children with AIDS" as a project of my Don't Give Up! charity.

I negotiated a partnership with the US Postal Service who then authorized my non-profit, permission to use their AIDS Awareness Stamp as a part of my proposed "Let's Stamp Out AIDS!" campaign slogan. It amazed me that the US postal Service could have that beautiful Red Ribbon, AIDS Awareness Stamp with no slogan or battle cry attached to the stamp for such a formidable enemy as AIDS.

Needless to say, my slogan was very well received and was the battle cry for several years of AIDS Awareness Promotions in partnership with the US postal Service throughout the middle and late 90's up and down the West Coast. See an example of my movement HERE.

We produced AIDS Awareness Concerts, Fashion Shows, Harbor Cruises for Children with AIDS and a Walkathon at Hollywood Park in an effort to help spread the message. I tried to make the concept a National Campaign but could never get the proper funding to take it nationwide. When we were close to negotiating sponsorship at a much higher level, the US Postal Service suddenly discontinued the AIDS Awareness Stamp.

Although discontinuing the stamp had nothing to do directly with us, it did however directly affect our ability to sustain our "Let's Stamp Out AIDS!" movement by 1997. I officially discontinued my AIDS Awareness projects back in 1998 after permanently moving back home to Akron, Ohio.

When I started the "Let's Stamp Out AIDS!" campaign back in the early 90's, there were a little over 20 million HIV/AIDS cases worldwide. It's been almost 10 years ago since the US Postal Service discontinued the original AIDS Awareness stamp at which time the number of HIV/AIDS cases had grown up to over 30 million by 1997. It is now at a staggering 40 million known cases worldwide!

How many cases are unknown or unlisted? What's the number going to be up to by the year 2020? Where is the anger, the passion and the real fury to battle this disease? The bottom line is that we need to really turn the marketing, promotional and awareness heat up on the AIDS battle at all costs!

Who wants to help me Co-develop some of my marketing concepts to battle AIDS? If your interested, just e-mail me at: donthornton@sbcglobal.net and let's talk.

May God Bless You & Stay In The Light!

"Don"
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The Urban Guardians Movement and Women's World Peace Charities were founded by Don Thornton. Visit http://www.urbanguardians.org/ and http://www.womensworldpeace.com/ for News & Updates.