Week 7: Kami

Kami is a Sesame Street character in South Africa who has HIV and who has lost her mother to AIDS. Kami is currently not a Muppet found in the U.S. version of Sesame Street. In my opinion I do not think that introducing Kami into the U.S. version would be beneficial. Although I think that the lesson of acceptance of others that Kami is used to teach is admirable and important, however, I believe that the doing this while introducing little children to HIV and AIDS is too much. I believe that small children between ages of three and seven, which is the main age range of those who watch Sesame Street, need to remain innocent and naïve. In my opinion children should learn simple basic lessons from Sesame Street such as counting, the letters, and being nice. Acceptance of others would be a good addition to those lessons but I think that this could be done in another way rather than introducing such a serious disease to young children when most do not know what it is, how to comprehend it, or know anyone with it here in the United States. South Africa is a different story in the fact that many children have lost a parent to AIDS or who have HIV themselves. Here in the United States parents can inform their children if they have AIDS or HIV affecting their house hold. I know that HIV and AIDS must be introduced to children here in the United States; I just believe that it shouldn’t happen until children are older and would understand it easier and that this could be done in schools or by parents.
Sesame Street is a children’s show and should remain that way to have children stay as children as long as possible in a world where they must grow up to fast.