There seems to be a ribbon for every occasion these days from “support the troops” to “(fill in the blank) awareness” to every cause under the sun.
While I don’t have anything against anyone who has or displays these ribbons, I have to wonder: Do any of these actually do anything?
If I wanted to, I could have a dozen ribbons on my truck, one for every cause or condition that has touched my life or my family. But I ask myself the question “why?”.
Here’s my reasoning:
If I want to donate to research to combat breast cancer, the disease that took my mother at a young age, why would I spend $1.50 on a pink ribbon-cookie (saw these at the store) where $.50 is donated to research?
Wouldn’t it be better to donate the entire $1.50 myself?
I feel the same way about over-priced stamps that donate your overpayment, or ribbons that donate a portion of proceeds. Why not just donate the money directly.
Perhaps having lost my mother to breast cancer, I am somewhat offended at companies donating ‘a portion of the proceeds…’.
What percentage of the profits are going to ressearch? What orginizations are getting it? Is the money going directly to research, or is it getting donated to a charity that donates money to research? Of that 50 cents, how much is actually making it into the labs?
Given all of these questions I have, I once again ask “what’s the point”?
Does a pink ribbon make people aware that there is breast-cancer? Do people not know about AIDS by now?
Personally, I am quite aware of Autism and I don’t need a puzzle ribbon to remind me.
This is not meant to denegrate anyone.
I am genuinely curious as to whether or not anything is actually achieved by wearing or displaying these ribbons.