Ocean Grove entrance. Welcome to town. May 2, 2014. Blogfinger photo. click image to enlarge
By Paul Goldfinger, MD, FACC
I guess you have all noticed that the pinking of May has begun again in Ocean Grove, and Meridian Health is once again bombarding us with an in-your-face month-long campaign of covering our town with pink bows, banners, fliers and even a stripe down the middle of the road. It’s as if the bubonic plaque is on its way to New Jersey. In my February article on Blogfinger ( The Mammography mess–a controversy ) I expressed my opinion that this campaign is overblown.
The pink painting is all about promoting mammography as an early detection method for breast cancer screening in women over age 40. Even if we agree that this is a noble cause, to assault our senses for an entire month with it is way out of proportion to its importance. If you read my article linked above, you will find that this subject is highly controversial and not nearly as neatly defined as this pink campaign would have you believe.
Putting bows on the poles is unsightly and a violation of town ordinances. Why should the pink people be able to do it, but no one else can? And what’s to stop every disease- fighting organization to ask for the same privileges here? Maybe next month we can paint the town blue for cyanotic disorders. Or let’s have a yellow July for liver disease. Why is this health issue getting the attention that none other gets, and it is not even the cancer, but it is the test that is the headliner? What is really behind all this noise?
In the poorest neighborhoods of Asbury Park there are no pink ribbons. BF photo May 2, 2014
Is there really an epidemic of stupid women out there who don’t know about mammography? Are there really many women who want mammography but are too poor to get it done? Well, maybe there are some, but this pinkifying of Ocean Grove is way out of proportion and should not be allowed.
We have a beautiful town which should not be marred by all this pink painting, exhorting and clamoring. The pink people can do their fund raising in a calm, quiet and distinguished way like other groups (e.g. American Cancer, American Heart and thousands of other such organizations.)
Pink ribbons and signs in front of JSUMC. May 2, 2014. It’s the only place on Corlies Ave. that has pink paraphernalia. BF photo
I think Jersey Shore should just paint their hospital pink and leave it at that.
Rich Amole, Blogfinger staff, put on his Google glasses and took a peek into the future to see what the Grove will look like if the pink-o-rama continues to next year. Click on photo to enlarge. ©