Ribbon Explosion
Copyright 2004 by Suzy
Wurtz
In the 1970’s Tony
Orlando and Dawn recorded a hit song, “Tie A Yellow Ribbon Round the Old Oak
Tree.” The song chronicles an old tale about a man returning home from
prison
on a bus. He told his girlfriend to tie a yellow ribbon around the “old oak
tree” if she’d have him back. When he arrives, the tree is covered with not
one, but hundreds of yellow ribbons. During the Iranian hostage crisis that
started in 1979, the yellow ribbon became a symbol of waiting for the return of
U.S. hostages. In the early 1990’s, Desert Storm brought yellow ribbons back to
front yards. The yellow ribbon had made its mark in American folk history.
But it wasn’t alone. The next ribbon that I remember is
the
red ribbon for AIDS awareness, also in the early 1990’s. Celebrities wore them
on their lapels at awards shows in support of organizations dedicated to the
education about the prevention of HIV and AIDS. When celebrities wear something,
it becomes fashionable, and I’d always thought the red ribbon started the ribbon
lapel trend. However, according to Pinkribbon.com, I found that the pink ribbon
symbol for breast cancer awareness was started in 1991. In recent years, sales
of pink-ribbon items like jewelry have attracted much attention and money to
fight breast cancer.
Yellow Ribbon International was created for suicide
prevention awareness in 1994 by the parents of a boy who took his life at age
17. The yellow color was chosen for the color of his beloved Mustang car. The
first 500 ribbons were distributed at his funeral but people began asking for
more of them. This national suicide prevention program is promoted in many
schools and has nothing to do with Tony Orlando, hostages, or soldiers in the
Middle East.
“Don’t forget purple ribbons for abuse,” reminded my daughter
as we talked about ribbon campaigns. The International Purple Ribbon Project’s
long-term goal is to bring an end to interpersonal and domestic violence.
However, purple ribbons are also worn for animal abuse awareness (in general),
cat abuse awareness (in particular), cancer awareness, cancer survivors, 9-11
remembrance, pagan tolerance, rape prevention awareness, Alzheimer’s awareness,
neighborhood safety awareness, artists against racism, caring about children.
Clearly, purple is the most versatile of the ribbon
campaigns.
Although a blue ribbon supports ending child abuse and school
violence, you can also wear one on International No Diet Day (May 6) to
celebrate shape diversity. And speaking of diversity, I have a sweater that
would look swell with an orange Cultural Diversity ribbon. However, I think the
most attractive ribbon is from the Reparations for Slavery campaign that is
green on one side and red on the other.
The Chrome Ribbon Campaign suggests that all Internet users
be required to take a basic computer skills course to “keep idiots off the
net.” Similarly the Electronic Liberation Front with an Avocado Ribbon Campaign
suggests that anyone with an I.Q. of less than 120 should be prohibited from
using the Internet. Since I found these organizations on the Internet, I
briefly wondered if they were referring to me.
Now we have awareness ribbons that aren’t made of ribbon. I
saw first my first magnetic “ribbon” on a car a few months ago. The words were
too small to read from my vehicle, but I finally found a few on parked cars.
Various sizes of magnets in yellow, flag colors, or camouflage declare,
“Support Our Troops. “ Other “ribbon” magnets said, “POW/MIA,” “Keep Mommy (or
Daddy) Safe,” and “God Bless America.” This weekend, I saw my first Cancer
Awareness magnetic car ribbon. The other hundreds of campaigns will soon
follow, I’m sure.
These magnetic ribbons have become the bumper stickers of the
21st century. Removable signs make good sense, really. Gummed
bumper stickers had to be scraped off after an election or a controversy. With
a magnet, you can change your solidarity many times a day or even choose a cause
with a color that matches your car.
Rather than spend
$2.95, I’m going to make my own ribbon magnet for my car. I’ll try to make the
writing large so you don’t have to tailgate to read it. It will have as many
different colors as I have in my crayon box.
And it will plainly say, “Ribbon Awareness.”
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