Charlie Sheen and Jerkism

This letter to the editor ran the other day in Fort Lauderdale’s mainstream daily, the Sun Sentinel:

“In response to the woman who wrote on November 20, “Shouldn’t we concentrate on peace on earth instead of every news and radio channel reporting on Charlie Sheen having HIV? Who cares?”

I do.

Reporting on an aspect of a very important health epidemic is not mutually exclusive from reporting on terrorism around the world. … The number of new HIV cases is on the rise… In addition, South Florida is one of the leading geographic areas for new HIV cases. (P.S: because of stupid, careless, irresponsible gayboys.)

Any time the opportunity to keep the dialogue going about HIV prevention and education, safe sex, medical treatments and debunking myths about HIV is a great one …”

My response to his response to her letter?

Charlie Sheen is a jerk.

Whether he got it from a prostitute (stupid), intravenous drug use (even my meth head buddies know to use clean needles when they slam), or just maybe another guy (the men who most boast about their female conquests are often doing it on the down low), he’s a jerk.

And so are all the other guys who by now should know better. If you haven’t heard how HIV is transmitted in the last thirty years, then you just arrived from Mars.

Education? All the education in the world won’t do shit if you’re preaching to guys with no brain cells or who are ruled by their dicks.