Breast cancer

By now, you have probably seen the pink going up all around Cape Girardeau.

Tuesday, being the first day of October, officially marks breast cancer awareness month. Many individuals and businesses will find their own ways to display their pink.

But what does it really mean, all of this pink? Is this just a marketing ploy?

Well, yes, it is marketing, but it is more than that.

Here at the Southeast Missourian, we're showing our pink. We've displayed pink flags outside our buildings along with pink lights. We've placed a pink ribbon on the front page of our newspaper, and our website shows pink for the month of October.

We have several employees here at the Southeast Missourian who have bravely fought breast cancer, and we hope they see all this pink as an acknowledgment of their courage and sacrifice.

The cause deserves our attention. According to the American Cancer Society, about one in eight women in the United States will develop invasive breast cancer during their lifetimes. We all know someone who is fighting this fight.

About 40,000 women every year will die from the disease.

We encourage you to show your pink this month. But we sincerely hope it goes beyond a color. We hope you reach out to people you know who are fighting breast cancer. Tell them you're behind them. Encourage them. Do something nice.

October is breast cancer awareness month. But it's more than a marketing campaign. It's an opportunity to connect with the brave men and women facing this disease. Be sure they understand they're not facing it alone.