The Times They Are a Changin’

With the KFC bucket, however, came a tipping point.   Even as the White House lit up pink, I read more articles than ever about the misguided efforts of this movement.  I think women are finally realizing that wearing or buying pink isn’t saving them, their family members or their friends from breast cancer; it’s not explaining why they got the disease in the first place and it’s not preventing more cancers than it did 30 years ago when it began.

I understand the need to gather at events in support of those living with cancer or the desire to make a donation to breast cancer research.  But, what are we supporting when we buy pink?  How can we be sure that every pink item we buy isn’t an attempt to pinkwash a company’s image?

As consumers, we have power to demand an end to pinkwashing.  We have the power to tell Estee Lauder we know that some of their pink products contain carcinogens that lead to the disease they say they want to help cure.    We have the power to tell Eli Lilly, the maker of a popular breast cancer treatment, that we don’t want their rBGH product in our milk because we know it can lead to the disease they make millions off treating.

The time has also come to make changes to our environment.  Now that the President’s Cancer Panel has acknowledged that the link between environmental toxins and cancer has been grossly underestimated, it’s time for a new awareness to arise.  And, it’s quite simple.  What we are putting into our environment, we are putting into ourselves.

It’s time to change personal behaviors by purchasing products that are healthy for both our bodies and our environment.  It’s time to change our country by demanding that our government protects its citizens instead of corporations.  Currently, both the U.S. House and the Senate are reviewing toxic chemical reform bills, which would strengthen the regulatory system that was meant to protect us, but has failed. 

Instead of buying pink, we need to ask ourselves this question: “what have I done to prevent cancer today?”  There are so many things we can do.  We can change our cleaning and personal care products.  We can tell our legislators we want them to support chemical reform.  We can sign petitions demanding an end to pinkwashing. 

The time has come to take action, so that next October, we can look back and say we have done something to try to eliminate this disease.

Karen Einisman
Program Director, Women's Cancer Action