a walk through Eastern Market, the people in business suits running from building to building to avoid the rain, the family who traveled here from Oregon posing for a picture full of smiles at the feet of Abraham Lincoln, the over-dressed interns walking with a newfound air of importance, and the tourists with fanny packs who beam from ear to ear as they triumphantly wave their maps in the air upon arrival to their latest destination, “I got us here! I got us here!” As these people are metaphorically pumped through the heart of DC, it remains marked by the monuments and memorials reminding us of the people who built this country. Every morning on my way to work, I look out the Metro window to see the Washington Monument towering over the Jefferson Memorial…the magic hasn’t worn off, and I hope it never does.The enchanting conundrum, with which I am now faced, is how such an amazing place can face such utter hardship. DC is full of inequality, poverty, and disease. Given the nature of my internship, it has been my responsibility to research the state of the AIDS/HIV
Epidemic in the DC metro area. In reading the annual Epidemiology reports, my eyes have been opened to the problems faced by the permanent residents of this community. Truly suffering from an epidemic, nearly 3% of the DC population is infected with HIV/AIDS. Stop. Think about what that number means. It’s chilling. This is the highest rate of infection in our country, on par with African nations such as Uganda and Kenya. The rate of disease and infection in the district is only one of the many indications that the people here are struggling. The public schools are notoriously bad and the few good hospitals readily turn away the sick and homeless to more “suitable” hospitals (such as that at Howard University) which are struggling to care for the people living in poverty. My mind can’t grasp that these problems are seemingly invisibly plaguing the heart of our country, killing the very people who live within it.
The varying states in which the residents of DC live and function is one of the most perplexing things I have experienced since coming here. I can’t express how startling this place is. The monuments are breathtaking, the parks are beautiful, the people are entertaining, the bars are
crazy, the business people are as important as they look (trust me, they’re more than happy to enlighten you), and the museums are free! The Jamaican guys flying kites on the mall and the protestor in front of the White House live alongside not only the president of our country but the child who has lost both of his parents to AIDS…all of these people, places, and stories make DC the incredible, albeit slightly quirky, place that it is.
Epidemic in the DC metro area. In reading the annual Epidemiology reports, my eyes have been opened to the problems faced by the permanent residents of this community. Truly suffering from an epidemic, nearly 3% of the DC population is infected with HIV/AIDS. Stop. Think about what that number means. It’s chilling. This is the highest rate of infection in our country, on par with African nations such as Uganda and Kenya. The rate of disease and infection in the district is only one of the many indications that the people here are struggling. The public schools are notoriously bad and the few good hospitals readily turn away the sick and homeless to more “suitable” hospitals (such as that at Howard University) which are struggling to care for the people living in poverty. My mind can’t grasp that these problems are seemingly invisibly plaguing the heart of our country, killing the very people who live within it.The varying states in which the residents of DC live and function is one of the most perplexing things I have experienced since coming here. I can’t express how startling this place is. The monuments are breathtaking, the parks are beautiful, the people are entertaining, the bars are
crazy, the business people are as important as they look (trust me, they’re more than happy to enlighten you), and the museums are free! The Jamaican guys flying kites on the mall and the protestor in front of the White House live alongside not only the president of our country but the child who has lost both of his parents to AIDS…all of these people, places, and stories make DC the incredible, albeit slightly quirky, place that it is.Pictures
(top left: Washington Monument through the columns of Lincoln Memorial)
(top right: Washington Monument with trash in the foreground...taken by Jefferson Memorial)
(above: a picture of the capitol building framed by the concert stage at "capitol pride")
(below: flying kites with Jamaicans on the mall and with the protestor in front of the White House)
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