Looking at the ‘View’

Regarding “AIDS, Death and Videotape” (March 14), Peter Friedman’s documentary (“Silverlake Life: The View From Here”) tells the story of Mark Massi and Tom Joslin, “lovers for over 20 years,” both dying of AIDS before the film’s completion.

The biggest tragedy is that, barring tainted blood transfusions or tainted drug needles, if Mark and Tom had been monogamous--sexually active with only each other--both might still be alive today, and AIDS-free.

Now that sexual activity is no longer a moral question but a life-and-death issue, maybe we human beings should start asking why the desire for multiple sex partners is so important to our lives that it’s worth dying for.

Condoms and nonoxynol-9 are nice, but not foolproof, and there are enough fools out there to keep AIDS (and other sexually transmitted diseases) going forever. We should know by now we can’t rely on government intervention. If we don’t act responsibly, the government won’t come in and clean up the mess afterwards.

ANNIE CAROLINE SCHULER

West Hollywood