Causes or trends?

OK. This post will most likely get filed in the “Andre ain’t s@*t” category. I’ve got a few more of these up my sleeves so I’m prepared to deal with the onslaught of opposing diatribes. In this case, I'm hoping that my delivery won't be the source of a major breakdown in communication. We shall see. So without further ado, let’s get on with this:

I was in grocery store the other night to grab a few items (interesting how going in to grab one item wound up being about a hour’s worth of impulsive shopping. But I digress.). As I made my way through the store I was amazed to see pink…literally everywhere. From cans of soup, to apple juice, to laundry detergent, product after product adored pink labels used to recognize and support Breast Cancer Awareness month. Initially I have to admit, I was a little moved by the noble efforts of vendors and the store in general to promote awareness regarding this serious and life-threatening affliction. Even if most of the products themselves were laced with preservatives, mad calories, and (apparently) salmonella, it was still clear to me that the vendors were all doing their part in fighting breast cancer. This, coupled with individual efforts to support the cause (Sylvia, for instance, just wrote an amazing post about it) left me with a restored sense in people’s humanity.

But (here it comes)…

The more I thought about, the more incensed I got. With absolutely no disrespect intended to breast cancer victims around the world, I’m absolutely sick of days, weeks, or months that are set aside to commemorate well…stuff. It’s for that very reason that I’m done celebrating Black History Month, Hispanic Heritage Month, 9/11, Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Rape Victims Month, or any other trendy things the greater society can come up with. Please don’t read into me incorrectly: I’m certainly not implying that it’s no longer necessary to be aware and concerned about those things. I just don’t think that putting together some cheesy commemorative event or series of events is the best way to disseminate important information about these causes. As long as we walk this Earth, our hearts and minds should be on the problems of the world; not just during a particular month or when some particular celebrity endorses it.

Before I go any further (to take a break from any tension that might be building at this point), let me point out that I take no issue with people’s interest in identifying the problems; particularly as the hit close to home. Many people who meet certain problems with apathy often do so because they haven't experienced that particular problem in their lives. I get that. But I still find myself having some issues here that I need to get off my chest.

For starters, a major issue I have with these awareness-raising efforts is the limited scope of focus throughout the greater society. Frankly, there are far too many causes out there to arbitrarily assign a month or a week's worth of awareness to each one. I suspect that we simply identify the catchiest causes and make them the center of attention.

But ultimately, I suppose that the greatest issue that I have with our tendency to turn causes into a trend (well, I guess you can say that’s a part of the problem too) is that causes like AIDS awareness, breast cancer awareness, Black History, Hispanic Heritage, etc all fit into the category of things that should be inseparable from our understanding of the world in the first place. As I just mentioned, these are problems that need to be addressed everyday; not just for a month at a time. We buy potato chips in the bag with the pink ribbon on it, learn the words to “Lift Every Voice and Sing”, put an American flag in our yard, donate a little blood, and attend a Hispanic movie festival and think that we’ve done a great thing in the world. That’s all fine and dandy. But I submit to you that it’s not about what you do for breast cancer awareness in October. It’s about what you do in May. It’s not about using February to celebrate the contributions black folks have made to society. It’s about what you do to recognize them in September. It’s not about how holy you are on Sunday. It’s what you do Monday through Saturday that counts. We don’t honor America (the troops and otherwise) by wearing pins and putting magnetic ribbons on our cars. We do it through our day-to-day conduct (I feel you on that one, Senator).

My point here is not to attack or condemn the merits of Breast Cancer Awareness month or any other similar efforts of recognition. I’m simply pointing out that there is a general lack of concern about pressing issues in the world until some marketing and feel-good stories get attached to them. And even then the attention generated for that cause/event is pretty limited to a particular time period. The problems themselves aren’t limited to a certain amount of time. Why then, have our concern for these problems been shaped that way?

Your thoughts?

-ACL