HIV in college class.

[Mouse]

no, making up tales about what other posters have said makes a discussion about reality totally impossible. "Divergent" comments, like yours, that add nothing to the conversation makes it impossible to have a discussion. Neither LTS or I said anyone needed to experience aids-related deaths, so I have no idea what you are talking about.

but, in response to your post, I would say that the opinions of someone about the yrs of 1985-1995, that wasn't even born until 1991, are less factual/valid/important than the opinions of someone, in their 30s-40s, that actually lived through 1985-1995, whether they experieced some aids-related deaths or not. Just like my parents opinions about what happened in 1955-1965 are more factual than my opinions about those years, as I was only born in 1962, and even though I was taught "all about" JFK and the Cuban missile crisis in school.

I'm 46 and have experienced that 18 yr olds "think" they know everything - when they don't know everything about life.

If you don't believe that then you better go have a child or talk to some parents quickly because you really need to learn about children. Children need to be taught as they growing up, because they are born without knowledge; and the teen years are usually tough for parents because of the youth's rebelliousness, hardheadedness and lack of experience and knowledge.

Mouse "thought" his teacher slighted him when all she did was assume people in her class were not HIV poz - which statistically is a good assumption to make, and not somthing worth getting troubled by. When you realize that outside of college, someone could assume that Mouse was gay and beat him near to death, his teacher's classroom assumption is small beans. I thought he should consider which battles are worth fighting - being upset with his pro-gay teacher didn't seem like much reason for a battle.

but, whatever. 

mikie
(who apologized to Mouse for talking about him in the third person too much, for how crazy this thread has gotten, and has promised to never post in a thread by Mouse again )

Wow. Just wow.

I will respond to this when I get over the shock, but I happen to think all good battles are worth fighting.

[Dachshund]

but, in response to your post, I would say that the opinions of someone about the yrs of 1985-1995, that wasn't even born until 1991, are less factual/valid/important than the opinions of someone, in their 30s-40s, that actually lived through 1985-1995, whether they experienced some aids-related deaths or not. Just like my parents opinions about what happened in 1955-1965 are more factual than my opinions about those years, as I was only born in 1962, and even though I was taught "all about" JFK and the Cuban missile crisis in school.

I'm 46 and have experienced that 18 yr olds "think" they know everything - when they don't know everything about life.

I'm 57 and have experienced that 46 year olds think "they" know everything - when they don't know everything about life.

Your conclusion that just because someone lived through a period of history makes that person's opinion "more factual" is just absurd. There are people still living today that were alive during WWII that deny that the Holocaust ever happened. I guess their opinion is more factual. There are people who lived during 85-95 who still deny that HIV even exists. I guess their opinion is more factual. There are people who believe the earth is six thousand years old. I guess their opinion is more factual. Historians uncover all the time that the history we believed was true, even if we lived during that time, was in fact inaccurate.

[leatherman]

There are people still living today that were alive during WWII that deny that the Holocaust ever happened.

that would be absurd to believe the opinions from the oddity of "Holocaust denialists" while ignoring all the opinions of all the other millions of people who were alive at that time. (I'd bet there are still some Flat-Earthers out there too; but I understand enough about science to not follow them.) Instead I would consider the opinions of those millions of reasonable humans who don't deny historical fact and who realize the Holocaust did happen, and would believe the stories told by the survivors of those tragic events to be more factual.

There are people who lived during 85-95 who still deny that HIV even exists.

that's just weird - using the oddity of AIDS denialists and their rantings as if that proved your point. Instead I would point you to aidsmeds.com and the factual stories told by the people who have suffered through AIDS and HIV in the 80s-90s instead of listening to the irrational, unscientific rambling of the aids denialists.

There are people who believe the earth is six thousand years old.

There are people alive today who were living 6000 yrs ago? You should have stuck with the other two examples. This one doesn't fit of the formula of living through a time period and sharing personal knowledge of that period at a later date. Your examples are like apples and oranges to the subject. Or like Ann trying to compare the chances of an American college classroom having even one poz person to her statistical anomaly of 5 unrelated poz people being in a bar at one time. If I'm going to talk about statistical averages and y'all are going to talk about the statistical anomalies, then we're not really even talking about the same thing in this thread.

lordy, this conversation is just so far away from whether a student should be "upset" that a teacher would assume that her students weren't poz, that I don't know what to say anymore. (I doubt she assumed, or took into account, that any of her students had MS, or diabetes, or colorblindness, or a million other health problems, either. HIV is just a disease like many others, you know. Having HIV doesn't make you special.) If I haven't made you understand that the majority of the world is straight and not poz, and that will always be the assumptions that a stranger will be greeting you with, then there isn't any more I can do. Personally, with stigma and discrimination the way it is, I'm glad people don't automatically assume that I'm poz. I'd hate to be treated like a pariah right off the bat, since that is the way a lot of Americans still act towards those with HIV.

[Moffie65]

HIV is just a disease like many others, you know. Having HIV doesn't make you special.) If I haven't made you understand that the majority of the world is straight and not poz, and that will always be the assumptions that a stranger will be greeting you with, then there isn't any more I can do. Personally, with stigma and discrimination the way it is, I'm glad people don't automatically assume that I'm poz. I'd hate to be treated like a pariah right off the bat, since that is the way a lot of Americans still act towards those with HIV.

Leather, please stop trying to foist your opinions on this thread, in such transparent ways.  It is obvious from this last bit from your last post that you are very disturbed about your HIV experience. 

Nobody here is/has said that this is a gay HIV+ world, and for you to suggest that is basicly running with one foot nailed down.

Then your last statement about stigma and "peoples" assumptions about your status, is very telling about how disturbed about HIV you still are.  Everyone in my county knows of my status, and nobody yet has shunned me, or in any way shown anything but respect for my fight of this disease.  I won't for one second suggest that my experience is that of all HIV+ people, but if anyone has a problem with my infection; that is none of my responsibiility.

I have spoken to Mouse about this, so I won't address the OP, but Leather, you really need to temper some of the things you have said to him, simply because you have no idea just how smart, strong and HIV experienced this man really is.  I find that this thread is shocking not because of some of the things he has reported about his college experience, but the responses to it from those members here who should know better.

[Dachshund]

that would be absurd to believe the opinions from the oddity of "Holocaust denialists" while ignoring all the opinions of all the other millions of people who were alive at that time.

Finally you get it. My work here is done. All I am trying to say is we're all entitled to our opinions, but not to our own facts.