Submitted by Anne Landman on
October was Breast Cancer Awareness month, and the group Breast Cancer Action seized on the opportunity to promote its Think Before you Pink campaign to raise awareness of how companies are increasingly exploiting breast cancer as a marketing device to sell products -- some of which are actually harmful to women's health. Pink ribbon campaigns are offering up some bizarre, albeit benign products like a breast cancer awareness toaster and a breast cancer awareness floating Beer Pong table. But the most bizarre item yet to have a pink ribbon slapped on it must be Smith & Wesson's Pink Breast Cancer Awareness 9 mm Pistol, promoted by a woman named Julie Goloski, Smith and Wesson's Consumer Program Manager and a sharpshooter herself. Goloski is promoting S&W's breast cancer awareness pistol on her Facebook page, saying "October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Breast Cancer Awareness M&P’s are shipping to dealers. I am thrilled to have my name associated with such a worthy cause and one of my favorite firearms." According to a 2008 report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, firearms are the second most common cause of violent deaths of women, accounting for 29.2% of all violent deaths among females in the U.S. in 2008.
Printer-friendly version
Comments
Bobby R replied on Permalink
..
What do you consider a Violent death?
Somebody has to stop these intelligent guns that shoot women on their own!
Good on Smith and Wesson on helping out!
commandar replied on Permalink
Smith and Wesson has been
Smith and Wesson has been building pink-accented "Lady Smith" guns for years now. Why is it suddenly a bad thing that they're donating some money from the sale of those guns to cancer research?
Anne Landman replied on Permalink
It's all about promotion ...
... and in this case, about selling guns.
If S&W just wanted to benefit cancer victims, why not just make a donation to a cancer research organization without pinking the product?
Anne Landman
John Taylor replied on Permalink
Why not just donate and not pink the product?
For the same reason Lance Armstrong came up with his silly yellow "Live Strong" bands...because it raises awareness, which is one of the laudable goals of the Susan G. Komen foundation as well as every organization fighting cancer. The same reason that people I see drive around with bumper stickers on their cars that read, "Save the ta-tas" and "I love my ta-tas." To raise awareness. Increased awareness leads to increased public interest, involvement and participation in the fight. How can you possibly object to that? Honestly, there are 80 million gun owners in America...or something like that...maybe more. Increased awareness among that demographic could be HUGE in the fight against breast cancer. Imagine if each of those gun owners contributed $10 dollars to the fight. The result would be almost a BILLION dollars to fund research, treatment, care, etc. How can that possibly be a bad thing? Your position is clearly from the "cut your nose off to spite your face" perspective. You sound like my pastor who constantly rails against the lottery...except he's smart enough to honestly admit that if I won the lottery he'd willingly accept my contribution of my tithe of 10% of my winnings, with which he could do a lot of good. All the issues of factual inaccuracy and illogic in your position aside, I recommend that you sit down and evaluate your views and consider what is really important.
Liberace replied on Permalink
i wish my brother george was here.
i believe my guns may very well be defective. i own several pistols and revolvers and carry at least one of them fully loaded with no manual safeties on them every day, all day. i've done this for a few years now and thus-far no one has ever been injured. i sleep at night with one of these deadly implements on the table next to me at night and so far it hasn't done anything evil to anyone. i have a knife in the kitchen made by ginsu which cut my finger last year so i'm calling for a protest of ginsu and a full ban on all kitchen knives. according to your reasoning these guns of mine should have caused some sort of injury or harm by now so i'm pretty sure mine are broken.
MarshallD replied on Permalink
I am really disappointed with the last sentence.
Smith and Wesson and Julie Goloski have their hearts in the right place and you all should be ashamed of doubting them.
A woman with a firearm, trained on how to use it, has a greater chance of defending herself against a violent opponent much larger than herself. I feel much better knowing that my wife carries a firearm to defend herself against a criminal.
Anne Landman replied on Permalink
Self-defense
If a woman needs training in self-defense, I suggest martial arts training. That way she has something that can't be taken away and used against her, nor can it be stolen and used against someone else.
Anne Landman
Anonymous replied on Permalink
Self defense and PR ploys
Once again, your logic is flawed. Can a woman suffering through chemotherapy effectively defend herself using martial arts? How about someone physically disabled? Or a woman suffering with osteoperosis? Guns are the great equalizers. They allow all people to defend themselves against violent attackers no matter their physical traits.
And, by the way, responsible gun owners are trained in their use so that they can't be taken from them and used against them. Responsible gun owners also keep their guns locked when not in use so that they can't be stolen by criminals. Certainly you don't mean to imply that most women who choose to arm themselves for defensive purposes are irresponsible?
Anne, I think you need to take a look at your feedback. You are THE ONLY PERSON posting here who agrees with your stance. It makes one wonder who is really taking advantage of this issue for PR purposes. Smith and Wesson, or you?
Anonymous replied on Permalink
IF a woman needs Self
IF a woman needs Self Defense Training Anne you are suggesting martial arts???? I am sorry Anne but it sounds like you are one of those people that are advocating that a woman lay back and take whatever comes! As a cancer survivor myself I take total offense at you telling me that AS A WOMAN I don't have a right to fight back whether it is against an attacker or cancer....gee I guess little ole me should have just laid down and died in your opinion. Thank goodness for S&W that not only taught me to shoot but donated funds to the cause that helped fight my disease. SHAME ON YOU what other rights do you want to take away from women? And for your violent death statement...um have never watched a suffer thru chemo then die from breast cancer? In MY opinion, that is a pretty violent death......
Web replied on Permalink
Cant be taken away from her?
If a women’s attacker is armed, most martial arts are useless (unless she is trained way above an average level). Those skills have just been taken away from helping her. If she is surprised and is wounded in the leg, a high kick is not possible. The skills have just been taken away from her. Don’t get me wrong, martial arts training is great, but not in all situations. The point that the weapon can be stolen is not a valid one, as no person is not responsible for the actions of others. Prosecute to the fullest extent (meaning no time off for good behavior)every criminal found with a stolen firearm (a crime), or anybody who uses a firearm to harm another (a crime), but do not blame the victim of a crime (the women who’s weapon was stolen) because what was taken from her happened to be used against someone else.
Pages