An Opening In The Insensitivity Department

This morning I was jarred into realizing how ridiculous, if not downright racist, it is that disposable bandages are "flesh" colored, and that hue is a pasty pink. Clearly, so few people -- if any -- have skin to match. In fact, if you do you might want to see a dermatologist.

The reason this came to mind was that I was behind a very dark skinned black man at the post office and he had two "flesh" colored Band Aids on his head. They did not blend in. In fact, they looked so shockingly out of place that some of the cartoon character designs would have probably been less distracting, less curious looking.

I think if they can make bandages in all sorts of shapes and patterns, why can't we have various shades? Like foundation, shouldn't we be able to choose our perfect match? I realize that those of us with freckles really pose a problem, so I am willing to be somewhat forgiving. But really, If someone has a blemish or cuts themselves shouldn't they be able to attempt to hide the fact that they need to heal? Or if we aren't going to hide it, at least give us something better than the horrible pigment dubbed "flesh". Shout it out to the world, then, but just don't do it with the color of a can of old salmon.