Someone posted a yard sale flier by the pink ribbon an Main Ave. at Delaware. Will both be left standing? Blogfinger photo May 1, 2015.
The pinkification of OG has returned with mindless pink banners and bows at the entrance to town and down Main Ave. . We had plenty to say about that last year (http://blogfinger.net/2014/05/04/paint-the-town-pink-is-this-really-appropriate-for-an-entire-month/ ) The telephone poles have pink bows impaled on them. They were even stuck on the gazebo in the park. Good luck explaining that to the kids waiting there for their bus.
No one is supposed to put up anything on those poles. We are not allowed to put up our Yard Sale fliers. Will the township enforce their ordinance equally in this situation?
An official in the Neptune Code Enforcement Dept. told me that those bows on poles are illegal and should be taken down. She said that they would be taken down. I told her that I wanted both messages to be allowed. She said “no” and she asked me to lodge a complaint, which I did.
The head of that Code Enforcement Department—W. Doolittle has not so far returned my phone call yesterday to inquire about the ordinance. An official in the Clerk’s office has not yet answered my email yesterday about the ordinance.
We demand equal justice under the law.
Please, this is about supporting cancer. What’s the big deal.?
Add to that – the ribbons are ugly, get uglier as they age, and the commodification of deadly disease as the charity flavor of the month is disgusting
Reblogged this on Blogfinger and commented:
It is against NJ State law and Neptune law to post anything on utility poles. You can read about this rule on the back of your yard sale permit. The reason given is that the staples might injure workers. Last year Randy Bishop acknowledged the law and promised to take down the ribbons, but he did not keep that promise to uphold the law.
The pink campaign is promoted by Meridian Health, a huge medical care corporation which is currently engaged in a suit with Neptune over taxes.
It is clear that somebody decided that an exception to the law be granted to Meridian. It doesn’t matter that the ribbons have a noble cause—-if we have a country where we don’t have equal protection under the law, then we will be a third world nation.
As for the other issue regarding the value of the pinkification of our town, that is another matter altogether, so please don’t mix up the two. Paul Goldfinger, MD, Editor @Blogfinger
Although I have sympathy for anyone who suffers with this disease, what about other types of cancer which get much less publicity. My daughter died from brain cancer which is diagnosed in 10,000 children a year; my Father died
from pancreatic cancer, essentially a death sentence when diagnosed,and my
husband is battling metastasized prostate cancer. Where is the “hoopla” for these cancers and especially lung cancer, the one that kills more people than any of the others.
Breast cancer can be deadly, but let’s not forget that five times as many women die from heart disease than breast cancer.
If you use the Blogfinger search engine at the top right hand corner of this page and then enter “breast cancer” you will find some medical articles we have posted on that subject. Below is a link to a comprehensive analysis from Feb. 2014. I believe that women are capable of understanding the science.
The pink people seem to underestimate the importance of doing more than just color coding the subject and handing out pamphlets. Education and early diagnosis can help fight the problem in all groups.
I hope they go into the neighborhoods, especially the poor areas, and talk to the public about mammography. Black people have a higher risk of developing fatal breast cancer. It is genetic, and there are some environmental factors such as alcohol use.
http://blogfinger.net/2014/02/02/the-mammography-mess-a-controversy-with-conflicting-information/
Caring deeply about the sick, the recovering, are deeply colorful. I just don’t equate those moving and heart-culling experiences with a month-long Meridian marketing campaign.
I agree with Wisher.
And I think the commercialization of sympathy about disease is replusive.
That pink stuff is ugly, too.
You have respect the peace of public spaces, no matter the justice of the cause. We are talking about the lovely quietude of neutral public space.
My mother had stage 4 breast cancer 25 years ago and miraculously recovered. She’s 86 now. Hooray.
I agree much work needs to be done to fight all cancers, all killer diseases. All chronic and incapacitating illnesses.
It’s finally May. Ocean Grove is awakening from a long icy winter and a cold spring. The flowering trees lining the streets look awesome with new buds bursting … and this sudden natural beauty is upstaged and spoiled by cheap chintzy pink bows up and down the streets.
We live in a town that’s a national historic site. Everything from lamposts to gingerbread are supposed to pass through an architectural review board. Just what is so authentic about a national historical site that looks like it’s been assaulted with Pepto-Bismol?
Ocean Grove does not look “Pretty in Pink.” If there was actual evidence that a corporate and driven money maker like Meridian has actually made headway in the fight against breast cancer I might be tolerant of this Pinkification event. I’m sure someone can pull numbers out of their ass to justify Meridian’s money making enterprise.
The cure for this horrible disease is probably going to be found in removing cancer-causing factors out of the environment and the food chain. That’s a huge undertaking. It’s a lot easier to hide behind Pollyanna Pink and pretend this May-long event is accomplishing something.
God bless all breast cancer survivors but, if we took the thousands of dollars spent on all these bows, banners, bells and whistles and put it toward research instead, think of how many more cancer victims might survive.
The Pink is for a good cause, my neighbor is a breast cancer survivor.
Poodle Girl!!!! Actually you don’t “get it.” Last year we focused on the appearance and meaning of the “pink stuff.” But now we are concerned about how the ordinance is enforced regarding hanging notices from poles in the Grove.
In this country we have equal justice under the law, so if you post a yard sale and are at risk for a fine, why should the pink people be able to post their bows? It’s the principle.
So Poodle Girl, maybe you want to retract all those exclamation points. They’re very annoying!!!!! —-Paul
I’m looking forward to the yard sale. I like seeing the yard sale flyers because they remind me of how I can and will attract all of the great things that I am wanting to find on yard sale day. When I see PINK bows everywhere, I will think of roses or something nice to attract. I won’t think of cancer because I do NOT want to attract it. Law of attraction is a very REAL thing.
OK. We get it. You do not endorse this PINK stuff!!!!!
If anyone wants to stop by 113 Mt. Hermon Way and pick up a Yard Sale flier, you can join our protest by attaching that flier to a telephone pole near you.
So, the month long commercial for Meridian Health has arrived again. Since they are allowed to put pink bows on every street sign, gazebo and utility pole along Main can I put up green and blue ribbons on everything so I can have a month long celebration of Gaia and the return of Spring? I’m sure I can find sponsors.