One of my favourite quotes goes like this:
If money can fix it, then it is not a problem!
But when I think about breast cancer etc, the quote doesn’t hold so well. At a point you can make the quote work, and it sure does for a lot of things, but basically we need to pay to feed some brains as they try and work these things out for us. Here is one brain worth paying for: Eva Vertes. She has some of the leading theories on Cancer, and draws some unexpected conclusions.
But what is really important this time around for Urban Grind and Think Pink week, is that this year we are thinking of one of our fellow coffee lovers and regular Urban Grinders, that has just been diagnosed. I will keep who she is a secret, that is for her to tell you if she wishes, but there is a think pink box on our counter, and for the whole of this month all of the tips that you all so generously offer, normally to buy green energy will be donated to Think Pink.
I really hate to sound insensitive but since when was it the publics’ job to raise funds for research which should be funded by the government isn’t research a public good? and most importantly shouldn’t pharmaceutical companies foot the bill (rather than our donations footing theirs) since they will benefit financially from any successful research? It concerns me that by making donations the “feel good factor” masks some more serious problems with research funding shortages of all diseases.
Also, I see all this “think pink” stuff (it’s everywhere these days) around yet bowel cancer is a more common cancer - why don’t we see a “think brown” campaign? I find the market monopoly on “charity” (appealing to everything from our love for mum to some kind of girl power pseudo feminist cause) that the breast cancer society is developing as an example of good marketing and a “sexy” cause overtaking need (like Greenpeace capitalising on saving those beautiful whales and cute baby seals but not mentioning the plight of those ugly fish or native snails and other invertebrates which are being exterminated).
but I digress…
Don’t get me wrong - breast cancer is an important and probably underfunded area of research - but so are many other causes. I wish this particular woman (and all sufferers of any cancer) and her family all the best - I too have had relatives diagnosed with breast cancer - one of whom has recently been given the cancer “all clear” after a mastectomy and chemotherapy regime!
Awesome! A passionate reader.
I so agree on the government point. It is one that I have tried to make to people in the past. It really does my head in to think that we are not living in a democracy that does this as a core element. I agree with your other points too, but have no solutions to offer as I think that it is a conversation that no one is even ready to have yet.
All this is why I said that the quote works at a point, but this is one point that few will consider. In my heart, I feel the quote to be truth.
Thank You for your response.
I was very sad to hear the news of my friend. She is one of my favourite customers and I wanted to do something.