Halloween

HALLOWEEN IS NOT PINK!

re: BCO's campaign to "Take the Fright out of Breast Cancer."

It is understandable that we are obsessed with breast cancer but please let us not try to hijack Halloween! It just might backfire. I'm OK with October being Breast Cancer Awareness Month and I'm all for making our bodies and our illness OK to talk about honestly and age appropriately with our children, but Halloween is a time when people, and especially kids, like to indulge in a little scaryness. Linking breast cancer to Halloween will only emphasize the scaryness of breast cancer which, in turn, will make some young girls scared about their own development. I think we should just let the kids enjoy Halloween. Or should I just relax already and join some perverse, reverse-psychology stunt like "Let's all take our children and grandchildren trick-or-treating with our shirts off." Do what you want with October but let's keep Halloween orange and black.

Sara, I couldn't agree more. I'm actually pretty disgusted by this campaign by BCO, as well as very disappointed in the organiztion because of this.

Halloween is a fun holiday - no stress, no obligations beyond having enough candy to hand out, a time to let imaginations run wild. To try to "turn Halloween into a holiday with a purpose" is wrong. Why should kids have illness thrust in their faces all the time?

As for "taking the fear out of mammograms" as well as other aspects of the disease, I don't see this as effective at all. It may even promote fear, as all the quotes are from people diagnosed with cancer.

Thank you for raising your concerns, Sara & VL22. I hope many more will do so as well.