JONESRA%AQUA.decnet@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (REX A. JONES 857-9563) (04/09/90)
Ryan White died this morning at the James Whitcomb Riley Hospital for
Children in Indianapolis. He died of complications due to AIDS. He was
perhaps the most visible non-celebrety person with AIDS.
It goes without saying that I think that it would have been much better if
Ryan would never had come down with the disease. It would have been much
better for him if he would have been spared the trauma of his original
town throwing him out of school, it would have been better if he wouldn't
have had to move to a new town, it would have been better if he could have
lived the regular life of an average Indiana teenager, it would have been
better if he could have finished high school, it would have been better if
he could then have gone to college or gotten a job, it would have been
better if he could have gotten married and had children, it would have
been better if he could have grown old and died a peaceful death due to
old age. It would have been better for him, and us, if there wasn't a
disease called AIDS. I don't think anyone could ask for more for a person.
There is joy, however, in the way Ryan White faced his life: We all can
share in that joy. Ryan taught his home state that PWAs were not to be
feared. Ryan taught anyone who knew of him what courage in the face of
adversity was. Ryan taught everybody that having a disease that was fatal
did not mean that a life had end with the diagnosis. Ryan taught us all
that living with AIDS was possible, and that those with AIDS did not have
to live their lives without dignity.
The sad point to all of this, is that we would not have known Ryan if he
did not have the disease. He would have been just another teenager from
Indiana living his life as he saw fit. It is sad that he had to suffer and
die from AIDS for us to find out about what a fine expample of humanity he
was. I for one, while never having met Ryan White, shall never forget his
example for the rest of us to follow.
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"Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent."
--Salvor Hardin
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jonesra@silver.ucs.indiana.edu |One of these sigs should work.
JONESRA%AQUA.decnet@silver.ucs.indiana.edu|This is not an official IU
jonesra@iuqua.bitnet |document. This posting does
jonesra@aqua.ucs.indiana.edu |not reflect the views of IU
|unless by coincidence.