WHYme, let me expand a bit on where I am coming from.

The District of Columbia is beset by HIV/AIDS. The causes for this are quite complex but some of the more important ones are a stubborn subset of the population who insist on using IV drugs, prostitution, promiscuity and increasingly irresponsible behavior by the citys gay male population. There are no easy answers to these problems, but one thing is for sure, headline grabbing stunts by local pols during AIDS Week aint one of them.

Putting free condoms in the lobby of government buildings and hair salons is bound to get someone a lot of ink in the press. But contrary to what PC is saying, free condoms have been available for years in school health clinics for teenagers, gay bars for gay men and through methadone clinics for IV drug abusers. There are even mobile vans that roam the city to distribute condoms and clean needles to junkies that refuse to attend these clinics. So anyone, in my opinion, who is not using a condom in this city, has made a conscious and deliberate decision not to do so.

Sorry if I sound somewhat cynical about this.