Awareness

I saw a new bumper sticker the other day, of the kind shaped like the 'cross-over ribbon' that we see all the time for various causes. You know the ones, in various colors depending on the subject: "Support our Troops" (yellow) "Breast Cancer Awareness" (pink) "AIDS" (red.) This one was in a jigsaw pattern of many colors and said "Autism Awareness."

I think we are getting carried away with 'awareness.'

What good is it going to do an autistic child - or his parents - that someone following a car down a street, is 'aware' of autism? If you want to help a cause, donate money to research it, prepare for a career in it, study it, take action about it. But don't carry on about 'awareness' as if that is sufficient. What that is, is superficial. Meaningless. Worse than inaction, because it apparently allows the 'aware' to feel like they've made a contribution when they clearly have not.

As a nation, we already have to be, judging by the bumper stickers I see on the road, as 'aware' as we are ever going to get. Someone, please, show me an instance where that has made a substantial difference. In anything!

Why are we led into this ridiculous self-righteous notion that being 'aware,' or making someone else be 'aware' means we've made an impact on a big issue? (Driving around with a bumper sticker on it that says "Free Tibet" makes as much sense - and as much of a difference for that matter.)

Evidently there is an awareness ribbon specifically for everything: Acid Reflux Disease, Agoraphobia, Amish Support (I don't make this stuff up) and all the way through the alphabet (Chronic Fatigue, Fireworks Safety, Hernia Awareness, Irritable Bowel Syndrome...) to such causes as Water Accident Awareness and, yes, Young Onset Parkinson's Disease Awareness. Go ahead, Google it and see!

I don't get it. But in an effort to, as it were, get it, I did a little research into what these people think they are doing:

A) It's a personal symbol of (pick your favorite) empathy, sympathy, hope, anger...

B) They want to show that there are more people ready to support action into (insert cause here) than are readily identifiable. (Show? To whom?)

C) It serves as a constant reminder of ______.

Sorry. It just doesn't do it for me. If you believe in something, choose to make an actual, measurable impact on it.

Leave 'awareness' to things like broken fingernails and holes in your pants.