Cosmo Kramer became one of my favorite characters on the television series “Seinfeld” during the episode when he refused to wear a red ribbon while marching in an AIDS Walk in Greenwich Village. Angry fellow marchers subsequently assaulted him, but I’ve always identified with his act of defiance – marching to the beat of a different drummer. The episode aired in 1995, when every celebrity at every award show wore the obligatory ribbons that showed they cared. It’s ironic: The entertainment industry, which so highly touts individualism as it so often breaks traditional taboos, is full of the most politically correct people.

Now we’ve drifted into the era of the pink ribbon signifying support for breast cancer research, a worthy cause. In fact, all the campaigns may be worthy causes, but the idea of publicizing one’s contribution to them by wearing ribbons of red, blue, or pink seems somewhat self-serving, unless the circumstances require a resounding statement. After the September 11 attacks, I wore an American flag pin in solidarity with other grieving New Yorkers. Lately, the same pin is likely to raise a few eyebrows.

Conservatives rarely get invites to celebrity-driven fund-raisers, but I do frequently get the opportunity to attend events that celebrate the contributions of heroic philanthropists who eschew the spotlight while performing acts of mercy. A few weeks ago, I attended a dinner honoring the president of Tiffany & Company, James Quinn. He received the Child of Peace award for his support of the New York Archdiocese’s Maternity Services Program, which provides help for women and families facing crisis pregnancies by offering counseling, medical care, infant and maternity clothing, baby furniture, housing referrals, and emergency assistance.

Of course, Mr. Quinn’s contributions and his award will never make the society or gossip pages devoted to covering the posh fund raisers with glamorous stars, and that’s fine with him and the other unsung heroes making significant contributions to those in need.

Dr. Karen Latimer, her husband, Lawrence Grassi, and her best friend, Danielle Gagliotti, are New Yorkers who decided they wanted to “give something back.” In August 2003, they founded a nonprofit organization called Give and Learn (www.giveandlearn.com) to assist needy children in our city’s schools. The thrust of their work is providing youngsters in kindergarten through fifth grade with school supplies, new book bags, shoes, clothing, and other necessities. Their feeling is that no child should start a school term in need or be made to feel inferior because of a lack of new shoes or pencils, a problem I can certainly relate to. Have you ever heard of these remarkable New Yorkers? I thought not.

How about Madelene Towne, who became concerned about the current state of children’s and young adult literature? She started Green Mansion Press to provide young readers with classics that are out of print. In her mission statement, she writes, “I believe that too many of today’s books are grim, bleak stories written for the purpose of exposing young readers to modern social issues instead of simply telling a story from the heart.”

Many book publishers could learn something from this wise Manhattan mother. Here’s a little lesson for those politically correct editors who think the children in the ghettos and barrios want to identify with characters in these modern novels. If I had read such books while living on 110th Street, I would have been severely depressed. Instead, I read books that took me away from the harsh environment I lived in. Enjoying the type of stories that Ms. Towne is offering became my escape into a safer, more genteel world. I credit them for inspiring in me an optimism and an admiration for the human condition that prevailed despite the negative examples I witnessed on a daily basis.

That optimism persists because I am continually meeting individuals that confirm my faith in humanity. This Thursday evening at the University Club, the Manhattan Institute will be awarding its 2005 Social Entrepreneurship Awards. MacKenzie Chambers of MI explains, “Our honorees are those persons who see a need not being met and then devise a way to organize to meet that need privately (as opposed to going to the government). They have to be entrepreneurial, creative, resourceful, and hardworking, and they are not only unsung, they’re often struggling.”

No ribbons will be distributed, and I don’t expect photos of the event to be widely circulated, but just knowing that there are champions like these fighting for change without waiting for a government program warms the cockles of my conservative heart.

I’m not against all ribbons. That yellow ribbon reminding us of the valiant heroes serving in the military is a definite keeper.

acolon@nysun.com