The number of women dying from breast cancer is just about the same as it was 30 years ago.
If you thought wearing Pink Ribbons was going to change things, you might want to think again.
This is the San Francisco City Hall contributing to the misjudgment of so many who still jump on the Pink Ribbon Campaigns. According to Breast Cancer Action, an organization that is making actual changes to the carcinogenic ingredients used in our lives, we are being distracted by all of this pink fundraising. They call it gaslighting and in an article by the nonprofit's executive director, Karuna Jaggar, it is clear that this is a serious deception.
Jaggar expains gaslighting as a "deliberate psychological manipulation that causes someone to question their own sanity while making them feel dependent on the perpetrator of that harm." "It's clear that pink-ribbon culture is sanctioned gaslighting, celebrated during its very own pink month."
"We are told to fight like a girl and kick cancer's ass," says Jaggar. She explains the dangers of the lighthearted manner in which we are told to "save the tatas" and "save second base" while provocative pictures of sexy breasts are the focus. It's deceptive and creating a culture of normalcy. Cancer is not normal and it is being given to us while we march merrily in the streets.
Jaggar notes repeatedly hearing, "is anyone still dying from breast cancer anymore?" The answer explained by Breast Cancer Action is YES!. The unbelievable fact is that the numbers have not been persuades to change in nearly 30 years with millions in fundraising and pink frills. The fact that women of color are more likely to die remains the same. The truth that traditional treatment continues to cause permanent effects also has not changed.
I have a long standing policy, (post my pink ribbon days), that says Do Not Buy Pink Ribbon Products. In fact, the policy comes with an annual letter writing campaign to corporations that use pink ribbons to sell products.
Breast Cancer Action agrees with the less than generous position of most companies that use pink ribbons to sell to fearful women. They claim many companies are using pink ribbons to distract us from other PR and marketing issues. They call out the NFL with their cheerleaders in pink after claims of sexual assault and their economic exploitation of the same women who's uniforms were pink this October.
Curing cancer begins with removing the cancer causing elements in your life. It means knowing that permissive government regulations allow multiple carcinogens into your daily world by the hundreds each day. Add those poisonous products and consumables to the challenges of a toxic world and BOOM, you are a time bomb.
Organizations like Breast Cancer Action are about identifying and uncovering the causes of cancer from the most basic of starting points. They are vigilant about reporting the hormone disruptors and toxic levels of personal care products. They are going after manufacturers and asking them to make formula changes that reduce your chances of cancer. They are hitting the source of the problem without fanfare or parades. They believe in the Search for the Cause, Not Just the Cure. When you consider how you will fight cancer, look for the wisdom of those organizations that have you as their foremost concern