Last night I saw a Care2 Article by Cal. Since the pink ribbons started polluting US charity again, I’ve been considering a repost of an article I wrote 2 1/2 years ago, and seeing Cal’s lit the fire. Thanks Cal. It’s important how Komen’s political duplicity disqualifies them as an authentic charity. I originally published the following on 2/3/2012.
The decision to defund Planned Parenthood by Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure is especially hurtful to poor women, who have no health services other than Planned Parenthood. I am convinced that they are not being honest about their claimed reason, and that their real reason is to support the ongoing Republican vendetta against Planned Parenthood. I fully support aid for breast cancer screenings for women, and am happy to tell you that there is a way we can support breast cancer screenings for all women, but leave the Komen foundation to their political intrigues.
Tuesday's news that Susan G. Komen for the Cure is ending funding it provided to Planned Parenthood for breast cancer screenings has led to increased scrutiny of Komen's staff, which—as I reported previously—includes a federal lobbyist who pledged to defund Planned Parenthood while campaigning for governor of Georgia.
Komen's founder is pretty conservative, too. Komen CEO Nancy G. Brinker, who founded the foundation in memory of a sister who died from breast cancer, was the chief protocol officer for the United States from 2007 to 2009 under the George W. Bush administration, and before that served as his ambassador to Hungary.
Brinker is also a major Republican donor, and has given more than $175,000 to Republican candidates and the Republican National Committee since 1990, according to donor data compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics. Her late husband, Norman Brinker, was the chairman of Brinker International Restaurants, which owns the chains Chili's, Maggiano's, and Macaroni Grill. Norman Brinker gave more than $440,000 to Republicans between 1990 and his death in 2009…
Inserted from <Mother Jones>
Komen’s supposed reason for this is that Planned Parenthood is under a Congressional investigation, and they do not fund organizations under investigation, they say. Well that investigation was called by one lone congressman, Cliff Stearns (R-FL). He has done nothing to follow it up. Furthermore, Penn State is involved in a serious criminal investigation, but Komen still funds Penn State’s Hershey Medical Center. That’s why I discount their claim.
Rep. Jackie Speier (D-CA) criticized Komen on the House floor.
97% of what Planned Parenthood does has nothing whatsoever to do with abortion, but if you oppose abortion, the contraception that Planned Parenthood provides prevents dozens of abortions every day. I wanted to help. I spoke to Charles Nilme at the Columbia Willamette office of Planned Parenthood, here in Portland, and donated $20. That’s a tiny donation, but I’m quite poor. I asked Charles, if I could target that donation to breast cancer screening, and he told me that I could.
Therefore, we all can support breast cancer screening for women without contributing to Komen’s agenda that opposes women’s rights. We can donate to Planned Parenthood directly and tell them how we want it used. I did, and I hope you will too. You can donate online to Planned Parenthood, or get the telephone number of your local center there.
Rachel Maddow interviewed Congresswoman Diana DeGette on this topic. Let me leave you with their thoughts.
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
14 Responses to “Komen Revisited”
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What is it with the Repuglicans and 97%? If 97% of scientists are against something the Repugs are for it, if 97% of Planned Parenthood's work is nothing at all to do with abortion, the Repugs focus on the 3% and to Hell with whoever gets hurt!
Good for you for donating to Planned Parenthood TC – it may not seem as though it is a big donation to some, but Jesus praised the widow giving her widow's mite, not the person with loads of money bragging about how much he had given, which was undoubtedly nothing like as much comparatively speaking. (Why is it so hard to genuinely praise someone in our culture without it sounding odd?)
Thanks for the link to Cal's article – and SuSanne P has a link in the early comments to other articles too with petitions to sign for Susan Komen to break her links with Fracking, so I signed too.
I am one of the many who never went back to Komen after the Planned Parenthood thing proved them untrustworthy. I realize many did go back. Many people also return to abusive spouses. Nuff said.
I love your phrase, TC, "Since the pink ribbons started polluting US charity again." Exactly right. I am now saving my pink for Code Pink http://www.codepink4peace.org/ and my purple for ultra violet http://www.weareultraviolet.org . And for women's health, Planned Parenthod.
Why would anyone want to go back to dark ages?
What is it with repugs and Planned Parenthood?? You’d think they would be ALL FOR keeping women from needing an abortion, since they are so foursquare against it?? They act like they have never had sex and don’t want anyone else to have it either!! Don’t they ever have sex for pleasure? Or do they only have making a baby in mind every time they do?? Mind boggling stupidity!!!
Care 2 still has Komen's organization on "click to donate". I quit clicking for a year, then started again. this is a good reminder of why i quit. Thanks, TC.
Edie, Komen is no longer on Click to Donate as of a few days ago. Cal wrote to Care2 Management and set up a petition . . . see http://www.care2.com/news/member/193692282/3811853
Thanks Cal.
Petition signed via in this link. Thanks. Lynn.
Thanks, Lynn. I signed
February 3, 2012 at 4:34 pm
In the US, the political right-wing has gone from anti-choice to anti-contraception to anti-women all, in what seems like a matter of months. Now the Susan G Komen Foundation is adding fuel to the fire by defunding their support for women’s health services at Planned Parenthood. But I think their fingers, at the very least, are getting singed from the firey backlash. And rightly so!
This is nothing more, in my opinion, than a political stand. What is their business? Is it advocating for women’s health and research? Or is it political advocacy for the right-wing? I’m sure that Susan G Komen, who died from breast cancer and for whom the foundation was named, would agree that a diagnosis, treatment and cure for breast cancer should know no political nor social boundaries. After all, the disease itself does not know any boundaries, none whatsoever — black/white, rich/poor, young/old. But how we are able to respond to the disease often does know boundaries. Planned Parenthood helps those who otherwise could not afford breast cancer screenings and treatment. Does it have other treatment areas? — yes. And those are equally valuable to those women who can not afford healthcare in the US. Planned Parenhood says that 3% of their budget goes to abortions and that the funding is from other sources. Not government funds, not Susan G Komen Foundation funds. Audit Planned Parenthood. Check it out. But also audit the Susan G Komen Foundation and see how their funds are meted out. What percentage of their funds go straight to their proclaimed advocacy? How much goes to administration? How much and where do their donations go?
I have run in the CIBC Run for the Cure here in Vancouver for a number of years. I thought I was doing the right thing, and for the most part, I think I was. But today in the Globe and Mail was the following story about the Susan G Komen Foundation and its tentative ties to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. I will not participate in this run again until this situation is cleared up. Here’s the link.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/the-hot-button/breast-cancer-charity-pulls-funding-to-pro-choice-foundation/article2322353/
Another thing that disturbs me is on the Care2 Click to Donate site. By clicking on the breast cancer heading, there is a donation made to the Susan G Komen Foundation. I will not click there now until this disgraceful situation is solved. I would rather see my ‘click’ go to Planned Parenthood specifically to support women’s health initiatives. And all this is sad because women are being punished by a disease and by a over zealous right-wing foundation that says it’s for women’s breast health, but is it really?!? I hope Care2 will be able to rediesignate the ‘clicks’ to Planned Parenthood.
As at 11/10/14, the click to donate to Komen has been removed because it is inconsistent with the values of Care2 members and management. I would like to suggest that Care2 investigate setting up Planned Parenthood on Click to Donate. I believe that would be in keeping with the values.
I live in Canada where my healthcare is looked after by affordable government prescribed health insurance. Breast screenings are free after the age of 50 every 2 years. For those who have a history of breast cancer in the family, they are free after 40, and in some cases before that.
Everybody, men and women, need to sit up and take notice. We could be talking about your mothers, your sisters, your wives, your daughters.
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From Wikipedia:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susan_G._Komen_for_the_Cure
"In 2012, a Komen attempt to withdraw funding to Planned Parenthood for mammograms drew controversy, leading to a significant decline in donations and event participation from which Komen has yet to fully recover."
I heard within the past week that there was "something up" with Komen but unfortunately I didn't get it all. I did see a short blurb that Komen was considering funding Planned Parenthood again but certainly not at previous levels. How true this is is another matter. After the last fiasco in 2012, I doubt there is as much love for Komen.
"In January, 2014 it was reported that the foundation saw a decline of 22% in contributions in the year following their decision (which was reversed shortly thereafter) to stop funding for Planned Parenthood breast cancer screenings."
As Sir Walter Scott said:
"Oh, what a tangled web we weave
When first we practise to deceive!"
Thanks all. Fell asleep vertival. Pit stop. Hugs.
I haven't clicked for Komen for years. I click for the other groups, but not them. In addition to the Planned Parenthood issue, they accept hefty funds from the fracking industry. They are not to be trusted.
Welcome Julie! 🙂
Tell Susan G. Komen to Refuse Donations from Fracking Companies
https://secure3.convio.net/fww/site/Advocacy;jsessionid=91C4CD1CC663B6C2F0024B664D43AE5B.app329a?pagename=homepage&page=UserAction&id=1657&autologin=true
The Susan G. Komen Foundation is taking $100,000 from a fracking company that is turning their drill bits "pink" for breast cancer awareness.
Fracking company Baker Hughes, a $27 billion company, is donating $100,000 to Susan G. Komen to help fund research to find a cure for breast cancer and sending 1,000 "pink" oil and gas drilling bits around the world. If Baker Hughes really wanted to find a cure for cancer, they should start at home, since some of the chemicals used in fracking have been shown to cause cancer.
Tell Susan G. Komen that taking money from a company that uses toxic chemicals in fracking is no way to find a cure for cancer.
Excellent comments all around.
Maybe the Komen organization will fade away… permanently.