Today the biggest problem in caring for those with AIDS is no

"Today the biggest problem in caring for those with AIDS is no longer mainly a medical or scientific problem. The crisis is access to affordable drugs." — Bernie Sanders

In the voice of the ancients, this truth resounds like the tolling of a great bell — deep, mournful, yet awakening. In these few words, Bernie Sanders unveils a tragedy not born of ignorance, but of injustice. Once, the shadow of AIDS spread terror across the earth; a plague unseen and misunderstood, leaving millions to perish in despair. The battle then was fought in the temples of science — with microscopes for swords and compassion for shields. But when the healers found the cure, when knowledge at last pierced the veil of death, a new demon arose — not disease, but greed. The sickness of the body was conquered, yet the sickness of the soul remained.

This quote speaks of a crisis not of science, but of humanity. The gods of invention had given humankind the power to heal, but the merchants of profit locked that power behind golden gates. The cure was there — life distilled into a pill — yet the poor, the forgotten, the voiceless could not reach it. Sanders’ lament is not merely for those who suffer from AIDS, but for all who are cast aside by a world that weighs money above mercy. The disease was no longer fatal because it was incurable; it was fatal because it was unaffordable. Thus, the battlefield shifted from the hospital ward to the halls of power.

In the late 1990s, as the epidemic ravaged Africa, the cure already lay in the hands of the wealthy nations. The drugs that could sustain life cost thousands of dollars a year — a fortune beyond reach for the poor. In South Africa, a woman named Gugu Dlamini, a courageous soul who dared to speak of her illness, was beaten to death by her neighbors for revealing she had AIDS. Yet even before her death, her government struggled against pharmaceutical giants who refused to lower prices. Millions like her perished — not for lack of science, but for lack of justice. It was only after fierce protest, after global outcry, that generic drugs began to flow — and the death toll began to fall.

The words of Sanders remind us that progress without compassion is hollow. What use is the wisdom of the scholar if it does not heal the wounds of the poor? What glory is there in discovery, if it is chained by avarice? In ancient times, healers gave their craft freely, guided by oaths to preserve life above all else. But in this modern age, the temples of healing have become marketplaces, and the suffering of millions is balanced against the profit of a few. The flame of science burns bright, yet its light does not reach all corners of the earth — for gold has cast a shadow upon it.

Let this teaching sink deep into the hearts of those who listen: the crisis of access is not confined to AIDS. It dwells wherever life-saving medicine is withheld from those who need it most — in the insulin denied to the diabetic, the inhaler priced beyond a child’s reach, the vaccine hoarded by nations. The lesson is eternal: when healing becomes a privilege, injustice becomes the true disease. And so, the fight continues — not against viruses, but against the structures that place a price on life itself.

Therefore, children of the future, rise with courage and clarity. Do not accept a world where compassion is sold and survival is taxed. Stand with those who speak truth to power, as Bernie Sanders did. Support those who demand affordable healthcare, who call for laws that serve the people and not the profiteers. Speak, act, protest, build — for every voice lifted in justice is a step toward healing the soul of humanity. Let your conscience be your banner, and your empathy your sword.

And when your own heart grows weary, remember this: the true measure of a civilization is not in its wealth or its machines, but in its mercy. The ancients knew it, the prophets spoke it, and Sanders echoes it anew. Medicine may heal the body, but only compassion can heal the world.