Pinkwashing Turns on Itself with Breast Cancer Awareness Gun

by Anne Landman — November 3, 2009 - 1:54pm
Share/Save Share this

Smith & Wesson Breast Cancer Awareness PistolOctober 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.

Main Source: 
GunBroker.com, November 3, 2009

Comments

Pink Ribbon Madness

Submitted by DrTCH (not verified) on February 2, 2012 - 12:08pm.

I appreciate this comment about cancer and AWARENESS.

What is truly sad is that so many people--including celebrities---are woefully ignorant of the facts about cancer. There are alternative theory and treatment modalities available that are frequently successful, and certainly superior to the "Stone-age Medicine" junk that oncology has to offer

The Susan G. Komen organization (associated with the American Cancer Society and Revlon) is a terribly corrupt one, with a high percentage of their donations going to administrative costs, and with a strenuous refusal to consider alternative, cutting-edge cancer theory, research, and treatment. Please educate yourself by consulting the Cancer Control Society, and books such as:

• Alternative Medicine Definitive Guide to Cancer by W. John Diamond and W. Lee Cowden
• The Gerson Therapy: The Proven Nutritional Program for Cancer and Other Illnesses by Charlotte Gerson and D.P.M., Morton Walker
• Breast Cancer: Beyond Convention: The World's Foremost Authorities on Complementary and Alternative Medicine Offer Advice on Healing by Isaac, O.M.D., L.A.c. Cohen, Debu, M.D. Tripathy and Mary, M.D., L.A.c Tagliaferri
• Treatable and Beatable: Healing Cancer without Surgery by Carolyn Gross
• AntiCancer: A New Way of Life by David Servan Schreiber, M.D., PhD.

Firearms don't cause death,

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on October 7, 2010 - 12:03pm.

Firearms don't cause death, you fool. It takes a human being with an intent to harm to cause a violent death. Why don't you look at the statistics on how many women save their own lives with a gun? I think it's very appropriate for a company that makes a product with the intention of helping women (and men) to protect their lives to also use their products to spread awareness of breast cancer.

My mother is a breast cancer survivor and she'd love what S&W is doing.

pink guns

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on February 25, 2012 - 6:46pm.

Thank You!!! My mother was a breast cancer survivor..she died in July after breaking her hip....I just bough a Walther p22 Pink gun today, not for breast cancer but everytime I shoot at the range I can think of my mom...I am so sick of these people turning something like this into a big deal when it's not....if the gun companies want to promote breast cancer awareness it's THEIR RIGHT just like anyone elses!!!!!

S&W Breast Caner Awarness Gun

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on January 24, 2012 - 9:39am.

I love the gun and think that it is a great way to get the pink ribbon out there! Women have the right to protect themselves and why not feel comfortable and safe doing it. I have lost family members due to breast cancer and I would be proud to carry that gun on my side. What is the difference between a hat, cup, beer mug, or magnet you stick on your car?

Smith and Wesson makes guns for wimps

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on January 25, 2012 - 9:01am.

Wesson oil is what you put on your salad and what S&W people clean their gun with. So they might as well put pink ribbons on their guns. For a real gun you need a Golck or Sturm Ruger. The three baddest dogs in my town are named Ruger.

Thanks for the heads up

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on May 16, 2010 - 7:52am.

Thanks for letting me know about this PR campaign. I'll buy one for my wife, one for my mother, two for my daughters. Maybe S&W will give you a commission for promoting their products and programs.

What the Cluck? Tell KFC and

Submitted by BCAction (not verified) on April 21, 2010 - 1:35pm.

What the Cluck? Tell KFC and Susan G. Komen for the Cure to stop pinkwashing!
With their "Buckets for the Cure" campaign, KFC and Susan G. Komen for the Cure are telling us to buy buckets of unhealthy food to cure a disease that kills women. When a company purports to care about breast cancer by promoting a pink ribboned product, but manufactures products that are linked to the disease, we call that pinkwashing. Make no mistake--every pink bucket purchase will do more to benefit KFC's bottom line than it will to cure breast cancer. Join us in telling KFC and Susan G. Komen for the Cure to rethink this pinkwashing partnership.

Breast Cancer Action
bcaction.org

Wonderful Idea

Submitted by Beans (not verified) on January 13, 2010 - 4:39am.

I think it is a wonderful idea that Smith and Wesson is making this gun. I hope more gun companies follow suit in making guns to support a wonderful cause. Having my own dealings with breast cancer any bit of support helps.

Anne Landman will not be

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on November 27, 2009 - 11:46am.

Anne Landman will not be broken so stop trying. She is just like Rosie O . I'll bet she thinks her home security system works just like it does on TV! She probably believes that the bad guy will just run away and the proper response is to run to her ringing phone instead of her home defense gun. She is a product of her environment and she will not be changed unless she opens up her mind and actually starts reading history books. Sad :(

Breast cancer 9MM

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on November 11, 2009 - 5:47pm.

I am a woman I think it's a wonderful Idea to promote Gun ownership Especially if as you claim Woman are Victims of Violence They should educate and protect them selves and their families, We all should,
It is recommended that you do Self breast Examines to protect yourself.
We Should also recommend That people get Educated in handling Guns for protection
By the way their are worse things Then Death..So STOP THE FEAR FACTOR and get Educated.
Guns Save Lives!