News-Info-Alerts

To: ALL

From: Andi Wolos & Bob Necci

(POW-MIA InterNetwork)

Re: Ribbons & Issues

Date: April 11, 2001

"Cause and effect: Ribbons tie supporters to issues

By Britt Kennerly bkennerly@therepublic.com

The family of missing Indiana University coed Jill Behrman pins yellow ones on lapels or ties them around trees, showing their hope for the future.

Over the past few days, those affixed to trees nationwide called for the safe return of 24 American Navy spy plane crew members, held at a Chinese military base.

Touting just about every cause or organization one can imagine, a world of colorful ribbons awaits supporters who want to tie, or pin, one on.

And whether itís pink calling for a cancer cure, red for AIDS awareness, gold to promote pet spaying and neutering or blue honoring free speech online, ribbons can draw attention ó and offer comfort.

While his trademark song is sure to come to mind, don't give credit for ribbons worn in support of causes to singer Tony Orlando, whose tune "Tie a Yellow Ribbon íRound The Old Oak Tree," supposedly about a Civil War prisoner's homecoming, was released in 1973.

When ribbons popped up nationwide after Americans were taken hostage in Iran in 1979, some ventured that Orlando's song, or the song and movie, "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon," spurred the frenzy.

But news stories of that time credit Penelope Laingen, wife of Iranian hostage L. Bruce Laingen, with starting the yellow ribbon-tying craze at her Maryland home.

She tied one around a tree, and when word of it hit national news, yellow ribbons went up nationwide, staying up until the hostagesí release in January 1981.

Later, yellow ribbons came into widespread use by families and friends of missing people.

Sardinia resident Lester Behrman, Jill Behrman's grandfather, still sees yellow ribbons tied around trees throughout the area, from Jill's native Monroe County to yards in Columbus.

Jill disappeared from Bloomington last May 31, while on a bike ride.

"Several people still wear yellow lapel ribbons, or heart-shaped yellow pins with Jill's name," he said. "When I think about the meaning of colors, about somebody commemorating someone, they usually wear black ribbon for someone known to be dead."

"To me, when I think about Jill and this time of year, I think about yellow Easter flowers. To me, they show hope, the feeling that there's something to look forward to."

Historical context

The use of ribbons, popularized at wartime during the Gulf War, dates back centuries, said Andi Wolos of Long Island, N.Y., who works in product marketing and development.

Wolos became well-versed in ribbon use as she studied the history of POW-MIA ribbons for AII POW-MIA, a nonprofit advocacy group created by Wolos and her partner, Bob Necci.

The two, who have worked on POW-MIA issues for 30 years, included a ribbon history at their Web site, www.aiipowmia.com.

Virtually every culture and society, Wolos said, has used ribbons in a show of allegiance or support, from black mourning bands and wreaths with bows used at funerals, to red, white and blue bunting in the French Revolution, to red ribbons worn in the 1970s to bring attention to POW-MIA issues.

Then, during the Iranian hostage crisis, people "started tying ribbons on anything that stood still," Wolos wrote.

In a phone interview, Wolos said she understands why people find wearing a ribbon a simple comfort, a small sign of support, like the wearing of POW bracelets.

"It allows every single person who puts on a ribbon or bracelet to be an advocate, in their own way," she said. "You can't put a price tag on commitment. It's one of the best public awareness campaigns around, and it's only two inches of ribbon."

"Most people don't have the ability to be full-time advocates. Something as simple as ribbons allows them to say, 'I care.' It allows them to be part of the issue, wake others up. It might not be your issue, or your problem, but it's someone's, and one day, it could be yours."

Whether they're handmade or mass-marketed, such as Avon's jeweled pink ribbon pin benefiting breast cancer research, ribbons can advance a cause - and raise funds.

That's true at Turning Point, Columbus' domestic violence shelter, whose staff and volunteers hand out many purple ribbons during October, National Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

Throughout the year, lapel pins in the shape of ribbons are sold at Columbus Area Visitors Center for $5, with proceeds benefiting the shelter.

"We give them out in an attempt to create awareness of domestic violence as a significant issue and out of respect for and the memory of those victims of domestic violence who have lost their lives," said Patrick Smith, Turning Point executive director.

Online ribbon directory

Carolyn Gargaro, a New Jersey-based Web site designer, found proof of ribbon popularity as she compiled pages for her personal Web site.

"I started seeing ribbons pop up on Web sites in 1997 or 1998, when the blue ribbon for free speech online campaign got started," she said.

"Then I started seeing others here and there. Some were funny; some were serious. And as I started expanding the page, I got curious, and started adding the ribbons to my site."

Soon, Gargaro said, she no longer had to search for new ribbons and causes - people who came across her Web site started sending ribbons to her.

They range from the serious to the wacky, such as the Chrome Ribbon Campaign, to "keep idiots off the Net," the brown "Fight Against Decaf Coffee" ribbon, and the black-and-white-spotted "Cow Appreciation" ribbon.

Now, Gargaro has around 200 ribbons pictured on her site, along with links to the cause or organization represented by the ribbons. At least 20 more wait to be added.

Eventually, Gargaro hopes to streamline the site's information into databases, so visitors can track down interests by color or cause.

If her e-mail is any indication, a lot of ribbon wearers will respond.

"I actually get a lot of questions from people, asking if I know what color a particular cause's ribbon is, what the colors are for different types of cancer," she said.

"And I get people asking where they can buy ribbons to wear, not just the ones they can download on the Internet."

Lester Behrman often thinks about what the ribbons put up in Jill's honor mean.

Still, he said, he looks ahead, to yellow spring flowers - and the future.

"And when I see that people still have those yellow ribbons out, well, that means a lot to us," he said."

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