It seems more and more I have been badgered to donate or pledge or some meaningless gesture to prove, in fact, that even though I don't have breasts, that I give a shit about people with cancer. Which, for the most part is true, I do care about and have a great amount of sympathy for those stricken with the ultimate anti-human sickness in our time of most cancer-cautious existence.
Its incredible to think that just a few years ago we were using nuclear power to blast out Styrofoam snacks at lightning speed to rush back to our crude microwave-emitting tube televisions. Idiots! Or how about cigarettes, which I personally indulge in because, hey, in a world where cancer is lurking around every corner, why not know which corner of your body its going to jump out of first. I'll save a butt load on diagnostic testing.
But I guess my real gripe with the whole situation is these highly-specific foundations, .org's and so forth that are constantly coniving us to wear yet an other bracelet or t shirt or buy the pink Special K, cause that fiber's gonna make a fucking difference for someone this morning! Because its pink. I guess the right intention is there, but I seriously have a hard time buying that these foundations are: A. 100% non-profit B. actually changing something or C. actually intend on taking any wide-sweeping action against prevention and early detection/treatment of cancer. Its seems the best they've come up with is a month where you are supposed to report to your doctor, and/or feel up your own boobies just to make sure. How about a coupon for everyone with boobs to get a free mammogram, courtesy of the donation acceptors? Statistics say that a lot people couldn't go to the doctor even if they turned up a soft-ball sized lump, no less the rigorous and expensive treatment thereafter.
I guess I am wondering where the cause gives back, maybe it does, and bad marketing is hiding it from me. Although when I surfed through a handful of donation-reaping companies website's no where did I see a "free-chemo" or "replenish treatment funds" button for a patient seeking help. There is a lot of helpful information, no doubt, and a cute little webstore where you can purchase products that show off your support for this "awareness" thing I keep seeing and hearing so much of, but I'm still left asking myself, what the fuck are you people actually doing?
I am a true pessimist, one whose life has been touched by cancer all along, from my own father constantly controlling his melanoma (which I will undoubtedly have to look out for myself in the future), or my uncle whom was lost to cancer entirely, or my grandmother who, after beating it already, has been turned into a practical hypochondriac. The real problem really remains in the manifestation of real change for the cancer-battling people of America.
For instance-a recent LA Times article by Melissa Healy delves into medications that have been proved to reduce the risk of breast-cancer have been floundering in the U.S. pharmaceutical market, why? Shouldn't these pink-ribbon selling bastards be shoving this shit down the throats of women, men and anything else that may have breasts throats' with all that money and "awareness" they have been dutifully hoarding? Or how about free-treatment? Or maybe even wage-recovery for those bread-winners that were quickly bed-ridden and unable to support their families? Or even, god-forbid, real big research breakthroughs?
I honestly have to say, after all this bashing of charities, I for some reason still think the pharmaceutical, insurance companies, and for-profit hospitals may have something to do with why it isn't free to have cancer. And more than that, it bothers me when people's kindness is taken advantage of, when its becoming so scarce in our world anyway.
And to reiterate the thought which started it all-"Its fucking cancer, I'm sure people are aware of it."
No comments:
Post a Comment