Has society and it's stigmas changed?

I am watching "Philadelphia" with Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington about a gay lawyer who was fired after being diagnosed with HIV than AIDS and was fired from his job and sued...My question is do you think not only with HIV but other issues society out of fear or ignorance is still so harsh and reacts or do you think over the years we as a society has become more accepting? I think with the Don't ask Don't tell being repealed and the more and more Gay and Lesbian marriages happening society is becoming more accepting...There are so many issues such as Racial/Religious Profiling, and Illegals entering the country for a better life for examples. What do you think and what issues do you think are the ones we as a society should be focusing on?

I'm just going to say no. I think people have just learned to keep their opinions to themselves. As long as there are ignorant people being born every day to ignorant parents, and they judge people and their experiences with them based on shallow beliefs of superiority, ignorance, or just not thinking things through, we will always have stigmas. And people will always live up to them.

As a person looking to overcome stigmas placed upon me based on racial and sexual statistics, I'm realizing how hard it is to do so for my race and my sex. I feel like an exception, not a special one, but an overall exception. People as a whole don't think enough to keep themselves out of bad situations, let alone dig themselves out of one they were born in. For the most part, people do what their families do. Most teenage mom have parents that were teenage moms. Unless one sees differently, we gauge success based on those around us. If the only people with nice cars and homes a child sees is a drug dealer, they will naturally want to be a drug dealer. It takes more than common sense to take roads less traveled by, especially when they've been paved over and rerouted in some cases. When you talk about sexual stigmas, they are driven on pure desire. People have softened up with sexual stigmas, since the belief that homosexuality in itself is a disease has been trumped, and AIDS transcending racial, cultural, and financial bounds (now there's no one to blame it's origins on).

Because we've mostly (sorta-kinda almost) transcended the times where the church had a part in the laws of State, telling people what is right and wrong is kind of a touchy thing. I think we should focus on adopting a live and let live attitude. I think we should focus on dispelling negative stereotypes. I think we should teach people tolerance and acceptance. This is something that we can ONLY hint around to through PSA's and ad campaigns, and it's an individual fight. No one can make a person love themselves enough to wear condoms to prevent AIDS. No one can appeal to those wanting be in the United States to do what it takes to enter the country legally as opposed to paying a coyote. We can't convince teenage boys not to tattoo their face or wear their pants off their ass. All we can hope for is that WHATEVER we're radiating from our personality and way of being is something positive that will be noticeable to others.

The good and the bad. That's the way of the world. Take it or leave it.

I think there is a big difference between individual rights and illegally crossing an international border. At some point a society has to think and act in terms of self preservation. Exporting manufacturing and low skill jobs while importing uneducated masses isn't a recipe for long term success, only to a large, permanent underclass. . . which is exactly what some politicians want to see happen. The proportion of illegals in our prison system for reasons other than illegal entry is far, far greater than the portion of the population they represent. And the search for a better life doesn't mean the search for a place to colonize and transplant the failed system they came from.

I didn't see the movie, but, long before it came out, I knew a fellow who died of AIDS. Despite working for one of those big, greedy, evil oil companies, he was employed and insured till his death with his privacy paramount. Hollywood often magnifies what it sees as real life's flaws.

The same politicians I refer to above are the ones who steadfastly refuse to embrace Dr. King's dream of "no more color line" on the job applications, preferring daily reminders of racial profiling via quotas euphemistically called, "affirmative action."

To your point question, yes, societies change, but we must not confuse changing opinions and fashions for evolution. Put under sufficient pressures any society can revert quickly to a more primal state. Unfortunately, while real evolution moves at a geologic pace, man's externalization of evolution via technology threatens our very ability to last long enough to catch up to it.

I am watching "Philadelphia" with Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington about a gay lawyer who was fired after being diagnosed with HIV than AIDS and was fired from his job and sued...My question is do you think not only with HIV but other issues society out of fear or ignorance is still so harsh and reacts or do you think over the years we as a society has become more accepting? I think with the Don't ask Don't tell being repealed and the more and more Gay and Lesbian marriages happening society is becoming more accepting...There are so many issues such as Racial/Religious Profiling, and Illegals entering the country for a better life for examples. What do you think and what issues do you think are the ones we as a society should be focusing on? Originally Posted by Irish Vixen

I am watching "Philadelphia" with Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington about a gay lawyer who was fired after being diagnosed with HIV than AIDS and was fired from his job and sued...My question is do you think not only with HIV but other issues society out of fear or ignorance is still so harsh and reacts or do you think over the years we as a society has become more accepting? I think with the Don't ask Don't tell being repealed and the more and more Gay and Lesbian marriages happening society is becoming more accepting...There are so many issues such as Racial/Religious Profiling, and Illegals entering the country for a better life for examples. What do you think and what issues do you think are the ones we as a society should be focusing on? Originally Posted by Irish Vixen

Yes and No. The biggest bone I have is with Religion, because so many people of faith believe "it's God's punishment", and give such scorn to those with the disease.

I have worked with people who have had full blown AIDS, and with those with HIV. I started years ago when so many people were terribly misinformed about the virus, and abandoned those in their families (or friends) for fear of catching it via touching them or sharing utensils with them. Surprisingly I found it was the more educated middle to upper class folks who were the most discriminatory (and less educated) with regard to the facts on HIV and AIDS. Today, I don't see as much ignorance, and most families seem to be more supportive of loved ones suffering from the virus. Education is key to help ameliorate some of the fears that people have. However, there are many many people who still discriminate should anyone with HIV / AIDS be found out. I find this terribly sad. We still have a long way to go with turning people around and utilizing education on the facts of this terrible disease.

I'm just going to say no. I think people have just learned to keep their opinions to themselves. As long as there are ignorant people being born every day to ignorant parents, and they judge people and their experiences with them based on shallow beliefs of superiority, ignorance, or just not thinking things through, we will always have stigmas. And people will always live up to them.

As a person looking to overcome stigmas placed upon me based on racial and sexual statistics, I'm realizing how hard it is to do so for my race and my sex. I feel like an exception, not a special one, but an overall exception. People as a whole don't think enough to keep themselves out of bad situations, let alone dig themselves out of one they were born in. For the most part, people do what their families do. Most teenage mom have parents that were teenage moms. Unless one sees differently, we gauge success based on those around us. If the only people with nice cars and homes a child sees is a drug dealer, they will naturally want to be a drug dealer. It takes more than common sense to take roads less traveled by, especially when they've been paved over and rerouted in some cases. When you talk about sexual stigmas, they are driven on pure desire. People have softened up with sexual stigmas, since the belief that homosexuality in itself is a disease has been trumped, and AIDS transcending racial, cultural, and financial bounds (now there's no one to blame it's origins on).

Because we've mostly (sorta-kinda almost) transcended the times where the church had a part in the laws of State, telling people what is right and wrong is kind of a touchy thing. I think we should focus on adopting a live and let live attitude. I think we should focus on dispelling negative stereotypes. I think we should teach people tolerance and acceptance. This is something that we can ONLY hint around to through PSA's and ad campaigns, and it's an individual fight. No one can make a person love themselves enough to wear condoms to prevent AIDS. No one can appeal to those wanting be in the United States to do what it takes to enter the country legally as opposed to paying a coyote. We can't convince teenage boys not to tattoo their face or wear their pants off their ass. All we can hope for is that WHATEVER we're radiating from our personality and way of being is something positive that will be noticeable to others.

The good and the bad. That's the way of the world. Take it or leave it. Originally Posted by Tiffani Jameson

I agree with some of your statements. Racisim, Sexism, Bigotry are all still alive and well. Again these things stem from ignorance, and also the way people are raised.

I can say that we are making strides in the right direction and our President is a testament to that. Again we still have a long way to go. As it stands women are still very underpaid in this country compared to their male counterparts and top executive positions are still not as available to most women as they are to men.

A couple of good news articles to read concerning women and equality in the US.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...021902049.html

http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/...en-821971.html

Video, Women and Discrimination in healthcare
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6494540n

I think there is a big difference between individual rights and illegally crossing an international border. At some point a society has to think and act in terms of self preservation. Exporting manufacturing and low skill jobs while importing uneducated masses isn't a recipe for long term success, only to a large, permanent underclass. . . which is exactly what some politicians want to see happen. The proportion of illegals in our prison system for reasons other than illegal entry is far, far greater than the portion of the population they represent. And the search for a better life doesn't mean the search for a place to colonize and transplant the failed system they came from.

I didn't see the movie, but, long before it came out, I knew a fellow who died of AIDS. Despite working for one of those big, greedy, evil oil companies, he was employed and insured till his death with his privacy paramount. Hollywood often magnifies what it sees as real life's flaws.

The same politicians I refer to above are the ones who steadfastly refuse to embrace Dr. King's dream of "no more color line" on the job applications, preferring daily reminders of racial profiling via quotas euphemistically called, "affirmative action."

To your point question, yes, societies change, but we must not confuse changing opinions and fashions for evolution. Put under sufficient pressures any society can revert quickly to a more primal state. Unfortunately, while real evolution moves at a geologic pace, man's externalization of evolution via technology threatens our very ability to last long enough to catch up to it. Originally Posted by Iaintliein

1. Instead of advocating the incarceration of an undocumented immigrant at the states' expense, I would advocate deportation.
2. I think your "affirmative action" statement in job applications doesn't represent current truth. King's statement was made roughly a half century ago. There is nothing on job applications these days that give you the race of the applicant. So, if you choose to interview 10 applicants, the only way you'll know is the face-to-face interview (I've been interviewed on the phone before). And since they made the interview, they must have comparable qualifications.

Sorry the metaphor was not made more clear. Are you saying race based hiring aka affirmative action does not exist?

I disagree with automatic deportation unless there is proof the person is involved with terrorism or drugs. We as America have long helped those in need in other countries and people come here for a better life and some escape from wherever they live to safety reasons. I think that should be taken into account,while at the same time I think we as a society need to focus as much if not more on our own people who are in dire need. I feel for the children in Africa,however, we have children here who need our help....

1. Instead of advocating the incarceration of an undocumented immigrant at the states' expense, I would advocate deportation.
2. I think your "affirmative action" statement in job applications doesn't represent current truth. King's statement was made roughly a half century ago. There is nothing on job applications these days that give you the race of the applicant. So, if you choose to interview 10 applicants, the only way you'll know is the face-to-face interview (I've been interviewed on the phone before). And since they made the interview, they must have comparable qualifications.

Originally Posted by charlestudor2005

Wow, I didn't realize national sovereignty was a "stigma". But as long as we're off in neverland, I think beer, blowjobs and T-bones should all be free to.

Wow, I didn't realize national sovereignty was a "stigma". But as long as we're off in neverland, I think beer, blowjobs and T-bones should all be free to. Originally Posted by Iaintliein

I think that happens March 17th

I think that happens March 17th Originally Posted by Ansley

It's actually March 14th.

http://www.steakandbjday.com/

It's actually March 14th.

http://www.steakandbjday.com/

Originally Posted by CaptainMidnight

Whew! Thanks for the heads up. I wouldn't want to be giving out freebies on two days.

That is hilarious.

First off, it's a fictional movie. Secondly, there will never, ever be a cure for AIDS/HIV or cancer because it just way too damn profitable and it supports eugenics through poisoning through your food, water, meds/treatment/chemo. Look up the award-winning documentary, House of Numbers. The AIDS virus has never been isolated in a laboratory and the azt drugs are usually responsible for deaths. I think that we Americans need to stop being lazy, hypocritical, irresponsible, and just plain stupid. The answers are always within yourself and if you want to change the world, you/we must start with yourself first because those are the things that we have the power to change. I don't promote Bb and promiscuity but honesty and loyalty in a monogamous relationship. I know this may not be the place to discuss such matters but if you want men and people to respect you, you must respect yourself. IMHO, some things are priceless and not for sale. We've got to work smarter, not harder.

Love and peace to all!

Whew! Thanks for the heads up. I wouldn't want to be giving out freebies on two days. Originally Posted by Ansley

Must figure out how to get to Atlanta on the 14th

Must figure out how to get to Atlanta on the 14th Originally Posted by discreetgent

I'll be in Houston. You seem like the rodeo type. Come join me and SydneyB.