My Sister--Fighting the Good Fight

Like many of my colleagues in Rhetoric, Composition, and Writing Studies, I come originally from a small city (or if you prefer, a large town) full of red-blooded Americans and even redder politics. Springfield, Mo. is the seat of the national headquarters of the Assemblies of God and is John Ashcroft's home town. It also produced the late Payne Stewart, who at the height of his career, and just before his death, could always be seen wearing his "WWJD" bracelet during golf tournaments (and presumably everywhere else). There was a triple lynching on the town square in 1906, its schools weren't desegregated until they were forced to by Brown v. Board of Education, and in the 1980's protestors apparently burned the residence of an MSU (then SMSU) student starring in a "controversial" play about AIDS. And while Springfield has its share of progressives (it's also home to Missouri State University), the town's conservative fundamentalist roots are strong and powerful.

This is the backdrop against which my sister, Kim Massey, wrote the editorial below (link) about World AIDS Day. She's a witty, smart, fabulous writer, and I'm very proud of her.

"Don't Be Complacent About HIV," by Kim Massey.