I Just Got Out My Little Pink Gun

October was Breast Cancer Awareness month, and the group Breast Cancer Action seized on the opportunity to promote its Think Before you Pinkcampaign to raise awareness of how companies are increasingly exploiting breast cancer as a marketing device to sell products -- some of which are actually harmful to women's health. Pink ribbon campaigns are offering up some bizarre, albeit benign products like a breast cancer awareness toaster and a breast cancer awareness floating Beer Pong table. But the most bizarre item yet to have a pink ribbon slapped on it must be Smith & Wesson's Pink Breast Cancer Awareness 9 mm Pistol, promoted by a woman named Julie Goloski, Smith and Wesson's Consumer Program Manager and a sharpshooter herself. Goloski is promoting S&W's breast cancer awareness pistol on her Facebook page, saying "October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Breast Cancer Awareness M&P’s are shipping to dealers. I am thrilled to have my name associated with such a worthy cause and one of my favorite firearms." According to a 2008 report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, firearms are the second most common cause of violent deaths of women, accounting for 29.2% of all violent deaths among females in the U.S. in 2008. The most important point here is the above board accountability of corporate charities.  We all want to be able to donate to charities because we want to take action to contribute to the causes which touch us, but you owe it to yourself to find out  how your good wishes are being spend or wasted and squandered. The controversy surrounding the Komen Foundation put this directly into the spotlight for millions of big hearted generous Americans this week. How much of your charitable donations actually make it to what you intended them for? How much are you paying to fund the perks and the salaries of CEOs?  Give responsibly if you want to see results!