October is one of my favorite months of the year.
The cool breezes, the changing leaves, the crisp blue skies …
But recent years has brought a new message our way which is permeating every media outlet imaginable and is anything but enjoyable.
October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month in America and with it comes an annual pinkwashing of the grandest proportions.
Pink gloves and cleats on NFL players, pink sweat bands and referee flags, and pink ribbons worn by TV commentators. Even the National Anthem has been pinkwashed with a giant pink flag in the shape of a ribbon replacing the American flag during the singing of this patriotic song prior to professional sporting events!
To me, this is not only extremely unpatriotic, but downright insulting to our men and women in uniform.
What are these people thinking? Is it so incredibly much to ask for people to actually think before they pink?
Even for those of us who see through the pink propaganda and ignore the media stupidity can’t seem to get away from the zombie like hypnosis that comes over people with regard to supporting the marketing bonanza that is “Breast Cancer Industry Month”.
I was shocked last week when the team manager for one of my children’s sporting teams pushed to have the children wear pink ribbon socks during games for the month of October.
I politely declined. There’s no way my child will be used as a pawn to support the message of pink hypocrisy that the Susan B. Komen Foundation represents – the organization primarily behind October pink ribbon madness.
“Komen for the Cure”?
Fat chance.
More like “Komen for the Cause”.
A story in Mother Jones explains how Komen continues to insist that bisphenol-A (BPA) exposure via plastics is safe despite more than 130 scientific studies demonstrating a clear connection between bisphenol-A (BPA) exposure and breast cancer. In addition, early exposure to BPA promotes early puberty which is a strong risk factor for breast cancer later in life.
Moreoever, Komen aggressively mobilizes businesses to display the pink ribbon or color a product pink as a message of “hope” for the “cure”.
This completely unethical raising of funds enlists these businesses to donate portions of their sales revenues to Komen even though many of these products contain carcinogenic, GMO and highly toxic ingredients.
Where does all the millions upon millions of dollars go that the Komen Foundation rakes in every year?
For fiscal year 2009/2010, Komen contributions included: $141 million for education, $47 million for health screening, and $75 million for research. Fundraising costs and affiliate expenses were approximately $60 million and general administrative costs at $37 million.
- Not one
pinkred cent went into education about how diet greatly affects the development of cancer, particularly how cancer thrives on sugar and other toxic foods. No mention of avoiding junk food and eating whole, organic foods. - Komen refuses to acknowledge nontoxic screening alternatives to mammograms. These include thermography and even better, breast ultrasounds which are zero radiation, no compression alternatives that find breast cancer far earlier than mammograms! It is well known that mammograms cause cancer and result in misdiagnosis and unnecessary treatment of thousands of women every single year. In addition, there is zero evidence that mammograms save lives in the majority of cases.
- The “research” funded by Komen is for the pharmaceutical industry only. Not a dime for Dr. Burzynski in Houston or Dr. Gonzalez in New York (a recent recipient of the Integrity in Science Award from the Weston A. Price Foundation) who are both practicing safe, holistic and highly effective cancer treatments as compared to the living death that is conventional chemo/radiation. Even though Suzanne Somers beat her breast cancer with mistletoe extract injections and wrote a bestseller about it, Komen hasn’t even consulted with her.
Here’s the bitter truth. Komen doesn’t want a cure. Pinkwashing is far too lucrative.
How are you opting out of the pinkwashing madness this month?
Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist
Sources and More Information
Where does all the Komen for the Cure money really go?
The Dangers of Estrogenic Foods, Herbs and Supplements to Breast Health
Susan B. Komen Financial Statements, 2009/2010
Today’s Dear Prudence advice chat references this exact topic and these exact criticisms of Komen, etc. that we have been discussing, and mentions two books and a NYTimes major article about it. So, the main stream media IS actually paying attention. That’s great!
http://live.washingtonpost.com/dear-prudence-131014.html
A friend in Las Vegas was watching football last night and commented that he found it very hypocritical of the Komen foundation to refuse to accept a large donation from a topless Vegas show (a natural tie in to breast cancer, I think) while partnering with the NFL, in which many, many players are spousal abusers, rapists, even murderers, mostly of women.
I was researching hybridized wheat when I can across your blog. When I saw this post I was ecstatic! I have been posting info on my business FB page for two weeks. The truth about breast cancer awareness month and all the B.S. behind the pink. For the first week I posted links about what to avoid – fragrances, plastics, foods, etc. The second week I posted what you could do to protect yourself ie, Vit D, Selenium, etc. I got no more than 10 likes and 2 shares in the whole two weeks. People are in to ‘feel good” actions which require no thought. They don’t seem to be interested in really being aware about breast cancer. They’d rather run a race and cray and pray for those who were lost than speak out and do something about this completely avoidable disease and all the money being made of people’s misery. Thank you so much for this article and I am glad to see there are women out there who agree. PINK STINKS!!!
VERY TRUE!!! Keep at it.. Hopefully at least one person will eventually get on board….
Sarah
What are some of the smaller research groups that are truly looking for a cure? I’d like my donations to actually matter.
Does anyone here have information or at least an informed opinion about the Cancer Treatment Centers of America? I’ve noticed that their recent ads tout their “new” treatments based on the patient’s individual genetic make up (calling Dr. Budzinski, Dr, Budzinski!) Just wondering.
Amen! I have thought this too. I recently bought a cruiser bike from Walmart that was Komen sponsored. I bought it because of the cheaper price, not because I felt motivated to support the “cure.” I have contemplated taking off the ribbon stickers.
Thank U Sarah for being open-minded in this World of Sheeple (except for ur religious beliefs). Also to Melinda, Please keep ur comments coming! Ur one of the few Sane & un-brainwashed commentators on here. Thank U.
Thanks, Tracy – nice of you to say so!
Sara, thank you for this article. I only hope more people get educated as to what the real Komen Foundation is about. Getting people the right information is why we’ve always made progress in society and this is one big area that will help open the eyes of people to realize what we eat and why our food sources are so important. Your healthy home economist is excellent and is making a difference. Although this month is frustrating with all the pink I see a shift starting where more people are getting it. Keep up the good work!
Thanks so much for this article. I have presented these facts many times to my many friends that Run for the cure, Zumba for the cure, wear Pink for the cure, ride Motorcycles for the cure, etc. Some of them were offended, like I was trying to lessen their pain from the loss of their loved ones. I just wanted to help them realize they were being taken advantage of.. My mother had stage 4 breast cancer, so it’s not like I have not been touched by this horrible disease, she survived by the way, and is 86 and going strong. Anyway, thanks so much for bringing this to light. Yes, it can be researched and the financial facts are out there as well. It’s a scam of the worst proportions. My dear friends that have lost their loved ones all have good hearts and want to do something, anything to rid the world of this disease, I think maybe it IS therapeutic for them, which is the only good thing about the PINK wearing. Those in charge of this hooplay know this too well, really makes me mad.
This article is so refreshing. I have known this for a long time.
Thank you for writing this.
All the best,
~Kathryn