The Junk On Your Trunk

I think the ribbon and magnetic cause car ribbon phenomenon is out of control. On the way in to work, I actually saw a "puzzle" design for Autism and a flaming ribbon for firefighters in addition to the standard Support the Troops magnet. Don't get me wrong. I think it's important and vital to declare what you believe in, but it's getting insane. Look at this list I found online of what ribbons colors signify:

• Royal Blue: Child Abuse, Water Quality, Crime Victim Rights
  
• Red: AIDS/HIV, DUI Awareness, Substance Abuse, Epidermolysis Bullosa
  
• Yellow: Come Home, POW/MIA, Support, Equality, Endometriosis, Adoptive Parent, Teen Suicide, Spina Bifada
  
• Lt. Blue: Prostate Cancer, Scleroderma
  
• Pink: Cancer, Breast Cancer, Birth Parents
  
• Green: Ecology,Environment, Organ Donor, Ovarian Cancer, Missing Children, Leukemia, Childhood Depression
  
• Orange: Racial Tolerance, Cultural Diversity, Feed the Nation, Highway Safety
  
• Black: Mourning, In Memoriam, Melanoma
  
• Gray: Urban Violence, Brachial Plexus
  
• Purple: Violence, Children with disabilities, Domestic Violence, Pancreatic Cancer
  
• White: Right to Life, Alzheimer's, Adoptee, Diabetes, Student Sexual Assault, Child Exploitation and Abuse
  
• Gold: Childhood Cancer
  
• Brown: Colorectal Cancer
  
• Off Pink: Bone Osteoporosis
  
• Teal: Ovarian Cancer

While it's amusing that the colors have to be shared now by several causes, this clearly illustrates that we need to find new ways to express support. I remember back in college, when ribbon wearing was relatively new and the only causes in that game were AIDS and breast cancer awareness, the first time I thought the symbolism was being lost. Some student had jaywalked into the middle of a busy street on campus and consequently was hit by a car. As the jaywalker lay in a coma induced by his own hatred of crosswalks, his friends went around the dining hall passing out these white ribbons to wear in support. I was confused. Were we supporting coma victims, jaywalkers, or the right of jaywalkers to become coma victims?

Looking at the list above, I wonder if some of the causes chose colors so that it would seem like more people were aware of their issue when they're really supporting another (I'm looking at you, Endometriosis and Epidermolysis Bullosa). Like on another day at college when the LGBA declared that on that day, wearing jeans meant you were down with all manner of gay rights. Again, the majority may happen to be in favor of it, but by choosing the most common item for any college student to pull on in the morning, you're kinda stacking the deck.

I'm making a brand new, totally unique magnet for my car: