Do You Have Pink Rabies?

SYMPTOMS:
• Zealous, fervent and fanatical when faced with consumer products displaying the pink breast cancer ribbon.

• Irrationally extreme in opinion or practice; furious or raging at corporations, especially those that manufacture products containing carcinogens and other harmful ingredients that support Komen for the Cure.

TREATMENT:
• Stop all purchases of products that contain carcinogens and bear the pink breast cancer ribbon.

• Stop all purchases of pink products except for those that openly disclose to whom and how much of the proceeds from the sale goes toward a known breast cancer cause.

• Do not purchase pink trinkets at the checkout counter (keychains, bottle openers, cheap jewelry, etc.), bearing the breast cancer ribbon. More than likely, no money will be donated to any breast cancer-related cause.

• Do purchase pink products that allow you to designate which organizations you want your pink dollars to support, or write a check to the organizations yourself.

• If symptoms persist, get rid of your credit cards, checkbook and cash until you come to your senses.

• If all else fails, immediately call or email a breast cancer advocate for help.

• Do this until the cause of breast cancer and the prevention, or the cure, is found.

WARNING:
• Excitability may occur, especially with companies that have no intention of donating a dime to breast cancer.

• Do not become so obsessed with avoiding all pink products, or ranting about what’s wrong with them, that you fail to purchase products that contribute to the Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation or the Love/Avon Army of Women and their search for the cause and prevention of breast cancer.

• Do not lump all breast cancer foundations and their leaders together with erroneous statements like, “When one name leads a foundation, the cult of ego begins.” Instead, consider that 98% of all foundations are led and/or funded by the person who’s name is on the foundation.

PROGNOSIS:
• If you “Think Before You Pink,” and urge everyone you know to do the same, the incidence of Pink Rabies will hopefully subside in our lifetime.

FOLLOWUP:
The pink marketing dollars’ issue will continue for as long as it takes for all of us to understand the pervasive depths of the problem. However, if we look hard enough, we can probably find something wrong with every product or corporation that funds breast cancer research. As breast cancer advocates, we must be careful that we don’t alienate ALL sources of funding. Every train runs on fuel, which costs money, and in the case of breast cancer research trains, a huge percentage of underwriters want visibility in exchange for their dollars.

I’m currently raising $1Million for a project I’m working on, and I’m here to tell you: Corporations want more than just a mention as a Sponsor, Underwriter or Charitable Contributor. They want a bigger “footprint.” And for those who think corporations should simply write a check, no strings attached, we need to remember that corporations are not in the “altruism” business. They’re in the business of selling their company’s goods and services. They have their own trains to run, and like everything else, they run on money. The Dr. Susan Love Research train is no exception, so let’s be careful we don’t derail them just because “evil corporate America” gives them money.

PS: For other blogs written about this topic in recent weeks, go to UneasyPink and ChemobrainFog.