As we all know, the Susan G. Komen Foundation is in the process of spectacularly self-destructing. In my day job, when I'm not dispensing tough love, I'm working as an advertising copywriter and occasional social media consultant, and I have admit, watching a charity as respected and with such a broad reach as Komen pretty much completely destroy itself is kind of breathtaking. Within two days, they've had three major resignations, the head of the foundation has been chewed out by Andrea Mitchell on national television, the Mayor of New York City has called them out, and legions of people have thrown out their pink ribbons. And this isn't even done yet.
I can't speak for everybody who stopped donating to Susan G. Komen. I was never a very active donor, mostly indirectly by supporting the teams of friends in walks and 5Ks. I can only speak for myself and why I stopped. And ultimately it has nothing to do with my personal politics, and instead with this, and I don't think I'm alone:
I can't speak for everybody who stopped donating to Susan G. Komen. I was never a very active donor, mostly indirectly by supporting the teams of friends in walks and 5Ks. I can only speak for myself and why I stopped. And ultimately it has nothing to do with my personal politics, and instead with this, and I don't think I'm alone:
Some things have to be beyond politics.
Look, it's really that simple. Cancer is an awful disease. I'm pretty sure that nobody at Komen woke up and said "You know what I like? Cancer." I don't think that happened.
On the other hand, it is pretty clear that personal politics got injected into the situation somehow over at Komen, despite their denials to the contrary. Just how is for journalists, and believe me, they're on the case: Jezebel has a detailed breakdown of the executive in the foundation who made this decision, and how the Planned Parenthood defunding was executed in such a way that only Planned Parenthood was singled out.
Either way, somebody decided that instead of cancer being apolitical, they were going to make the discussion about both cancer and abortion, and make their donors take a stand on an incredibly controversial issue whether they wanted to or not. And, not unreasonably, a lot of people reject that decision, because it's an awful one. At root, the fight against cancer is not about deciding who lives and who dies, or about a particular point of view, it's about stopping a branch of disease that claims family members, dear friends, and personal heroes, every day.
There are some people who, politically speaking, I think are awful. I don't like them at all, as politicians. That doesn't mean I want them to get cancer. I just want them to get a different job, preferably something where they can't screw things up horribly. I think it's fairly safe to say that the vast majority of us, left-wing, right-wing, center of the road or completely apathetic, feel the same way.
I'm pretty sure people will continue to donate money to breast cancer research. It would not surprise me terribly if the Komen Foundation either reverses its decision or is ultimately forced to cede the ground it holds to another breast cancer charity. But in this, I think, is a lesson: that like it or not, to fight a common enemy, we have to find, and refuse to surrender, common ground.
Honestly, should Komen have funded Planned Parenthood in the first place? I understand that abortion is still controversial, but it doesn't seem like their goals are/were ever shared.
Komen was funding breast cancer screenings and education for low income and rural women whose only access to healthcare is through Planned Parenthood. PP does a whole lot of stuff - they don't just provide abortions. A huge part of their mission is educating people about their bodies, sex, and health. Do some research before you go commenting on current events.
Well, it was just a question. I understand that they're both interested in women's health, but to me, it seems like a different organization could fulfill the need for low-cost healthcare for women without providing assistance to people who want abortions. Personally, I'm pro-choice, but it seems like this could be accomplished so much more diplomatically, or maybe I'm naive?
Like who? Who is in place that can do what Planned Parenthood already does so well?
Actually, if you look at the budget break-out, the vast majority of PP's spending goes to women's health. Abortion services make up 3% of their budget, which is why the current hissy fit thrown by far-right vagina-bothers is so ridiculous and destructive.
Either way, Komen backed down, but it's going to take them years to repair the damage.
I'm going to get hate for this, but it's rant time...
This is getting ridiculous. Planned Parenthood is throwing a temper tantrum because they lost 1/20th of 1% of their income and are trying to destroy the organization responsible. It's immature and detrimental to both sides. Komen is going to get shit about this for years and the amount of good the are able to do will plummet. Planned Parenthood is going to ride the initial donation wave, but then they're going to suffer in the long run because no organizations are going to START funding them after seeing what PP is doing to Komen for STOPPING. And now its a potential hostage situation for those currently donating to PP who want to stop. "Keep funding us or we'll destroy you, too."
Komen has made it very clear that their pre-existing policies require them to cease PP's funding; Planned Parenthood is under federal and state investigation. Maybe Komen would be more willing to make an exception for them, but:
PP clinics don't do anything other than basic breast exams, the same kind women can do at home. If they think someone needs a mammogram or other more intensive test, PP will send them somewhere else. Komen is just trying to cut the middle-man and give the money directly to the organizations that do the more intensive stuff so they can give cheaper or even free services themselves. This isn't about Planned Parenthood's claim about not being able to do mammograms without Komen's money; they didn't do them with it! This isn't about abortion; Komen has not taken a stand in either direction and their organization isn't about abortion, it's about breast cancer. If they decided to take a stand for abortion, that would be fine, but they would be straying from their supposed goal or eradicating breast cancer. What we can't do is force them to or insult them for not.
Worried about women not being able to get breast affordable breast exams or mammograms? I understand. However, most(if not all) hospitals can provide these services for FREE. Planned Parenthood charges for breast exams. If affordability is the priority, PP still wouldn't have been the best choice here.
For all the criticism of Komen supposedly bowing to political pressure, people sure are willing and eager to try to make them bow back to the opposite political power. "How dare you agree with pro-lifers? Disagree with them or face the wrath of the pro-choicers!" Which again, is irrelevant as this is a matter of cancer, not abortion.
Okay, I'm done.
Dang, I didn't realize I wrote this much.
tl;dr: Planned Parenthood was not the best organization for breast health. Komen wanted to give to an organization that was. Planned Parenthood is making a bigger deal than they need to.
No offense, Laurel, but you're A) missing the point and B) getting your information from somebody who has their facts very, VERY wrong.
First of all, hospitals don't give out free care. I don't know where you got that idea, but it's not the truth. Planned Parenthood is the first and last resort for many women, especially working-class women.
Multiple members of the Komen organization have come out to state that this was a specifically political decision made by Nancy Brinker (CEO and major GOP contributor), Karen Handel (former Georgia gubernatorial candidate who had defunding Planned Parenthood as a major plank in her platform), and Ari Fleischer (the press secretary for G.W. Bush).
Make no mistake, THIS WAS A POLITICAL DECISION ABOUT ABORTION. It was driven by an agenda. This was not a "pre-existing" policy: Komen passed a rule to specifically target Planned Parenthood and no one else. The fact that it's selectively enforced should tell you everything you need to know.
The far right has been trying to defund Planned Parenthood for years now. Anybody who tells you otherwise is lying or misinformed. And anybody who tells you Komen's decision wasn't directly tied to that agenda is also lying or misinformed.
Komen is not the victim here. Please stop acting like they are. They tried to force every single person to take a side in the abortion debate whether they wanted to or not using a horrible disease that kills thousands of women. That's not fair. It's not fair to those who are pro-abortion-choice, it's not fair to those who are anti-abortion, and it's not fair to those who don't want to get involved in the debate at all.