NEWS: Charity Wristbands: Good or Evil?

CULTURE: Charity Wristbands: Good or Evil?

Everyone's wearing them, even Tony Blair. A Teacher's union leader thinks that they're a good thing, but the bands have been banned by some schools.

I'm glad that schools are taking health and safety seriously, but I think it'd be better if they tackled bullying, which really does harm people.

in theory anything to raise awarness and $ for worthwhile causes shoudl be lauded, but when you see everyone wearing them as fashion statement (i saw four different ones on a wrist yesterday) its hard to take them completely seriously

i've seen
red: "red sox nation", green: (st.patricks) "drink strong"

These things annoy me, my little brother has a million of them.

I see the point of them-but the bullying ones, for example, make people who wear them targets for bullies...it's stupid but true. I have a 'Make Poverty Hisory' band, but then I am a regular donator to Oxfam and am a member of Amnesty International. It kind of makes me sad when I see kids wearing them because they are 'cool' when you know that if they weren't cool then they wouldn't have bought one in the first place, nor would they ever give any money to the charities they are supporting if these wristbands didn't exist.

Almost as annoying as those magnetic ribbons.
I don't know why they bother me, but they do.
I mean, what's the point? Hey! Look at me! I donated $4! I'm a good person!

OH MY GOD, you are dead fucking on.

That is so wrong... There just aren't words to describe how moronic some people are!

i just hate the 'fashion' or 'funny ones'

i don't mind the ones for real charitys,
its jsut a difrent way of showing surport, like a badge/'sticker/pin etc

I'm against those too. If you REALLY support a cause, you should have the logo tattooed on your ass.

We got a flyer in the mail at work which offered them for wholesale purchase. The cause? Jesus.
actual quote: "This past summer, the Lance Armstrong Foundation began selling bracelets to support the fight against cancer. In the last 16 months, over 18 million bracelets have been sold. But there is an even greater cause we can aspire to...
There is a healer who goes far beyond all we might ask or imagine...
There is a hope for the sick, the poor, the downtrodden, the lonely and brokenhearted...
Now you can show your support for the greatest cause of all-the gospel of Jesus Christ"

I kid you not. I saved it because it was so horrible.

you suck. i was so about to post that.

I like to call people out on their bracelets. Ask them why they're wearing it and what else they've done to support their cause. You'll find some people who have interesting stories and others who are just hopping on the bandwagon.

I've had the yellow Lance Armstrong Foundation braclet on my left wrist for over 7 months now. I spent the first 6 months of 2004 going through chemo and radiation to deal with an aggressive form of lymphoma. I'm happy to talk to others about what I went through. Knowing someone else who went through a similar experience really helped me get through mine.

In all fairness, he DID donate 15 dollars to the 'spinning rims foundation'.

That is very odd. I really hope she got a "bunch of them free" because she collects money and they thought she could sell some.

But yes, that woman at the office should have stumped up a bit of cash.

I wear mine because my mother had cancer (she sadly passed away last summer) and my dad has a tumor the size of a golfball in his lung thanks to smoking, and it's spreading into his lymphnodes and bloodstream... On one hand, being trendy is stupid and mindless but on the other hand, having one or both of your parents being ripped away from you because of cancer is the fucking shits. At least the mindless masses are helping charity because of this trend. Do you really think that they would give as much as they have if there wasn't a trend?

And damn, anyone who does the Tour de France when their testicle is swollen to the size of a grapefruit is fucking awesome!

But if you get it for free, people think you gave money to the charity AND you get a snazzy bracelet!

jeezy creezy....i'm just about fed up with people making money off the name jesus christ

[Edited on Mar 28, 2005 3:32PM]

I have a red one that says Red Sox Nation.... yes, I'm one of those.

I honestly fail to see the need. They bother me to no end. To me...they scream "LOOK AT ME!!! I'M CHARITABLE!!"

I guess, in the long run, if they get more people to donate money who might no thave...it's a good thing...but the whole underlying showoffy-ness bugs me.

A really good friend of mine had a nut removed thanks to testicular cancer, so he wears one of those yellow Lance Armstrong ones...it bugs me...but I'm not gonna tell him that.

Not good, not evil, just stupid.

What's the point of giving money to charity if you then tell people about it, or wear a braclet to show how much of a wonderful human you are?
Charity should be a selfless act, not something to bolster your own status.

mononutted.