Shame On The Susan G. Komen Foundation

An organization that has touted itself as being all about saving women’s lives made it clear that women’s lives don’t mean much in the face of political opposition to abortion.

The 800 pound gorilla of breast cancer marketing and research, the Susan G. Komen Foundation, announced it was severing ties with Planned Parenthood because of a new policy that bars grants to organizations that are under investigation by local, state or federal authorities. According to Komen, because Rep. Cliff Sterns (R-FL) launched a congressional investigation into whether or not Planned Parenthood was using public money on abortions, that means no more grant money. Period.

The Republican attacks on Planned Parenthood have been relentless and baseless. They are nothing short of vindictive, politically-motivated smears targeting an organization that makes it possible for women to have access to safe, affordable health care. They are fueled by an animus toward women and a belief that women’s bodies are, essentially, community property at best.

The Komen Foundation grants to Planned Parenthood totaled about $680,000 last year and $580,000 the year before, with that money mainly going to breast-cancer screening and other breast-health services. Translated to actual women’s lives, it looks like this: almost 170,000 clinical breast exams and more than 6,400 mammograms.

It’s a move that is not only disappointing, it is deadly. “We are alarmed and saddened that the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation appears to have succumbed to political pressure. Our greatest desire is for Komen to reconsider this policy and recommit to the partnership on which so many women count,” said Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America.

Planned Parenthood and its affiliates are looking beyond political pressure and focused only on how to help save women’s lives. “While this is deeply disturbing and disappointing, we want to assure women who rely on Planned Parenthood for breast care that we’re still here for them, and we always will be. The new fund we’re launching to support these services will ensure that the Komen Foundation’s decision doesn’t jeopardize women’s health,” added Richards.

Thanks to a grant by Amy and Lee Fikes’ Foundation Planned Parenthood established a Breast Health Emergency Fund to provide an immediate source of funding to ensure that Planned Parenthood health centers can continue to provide critical cancer screenings and care that actually saves lives.

The Susan G. Komen Foundation will slap a pink ribbon on just about anything, from NFL football jerseys to a bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken. Yet they won’t stand up to anti-abortion zealots. The result puts real women’s lives at risk. If you care about women, and if you want to support an organization that knows that providing women access to life-saving cancer screens means being stronger than political pressure from the religious right, I suggest sending that support directly to Planned Parenthood. The Susan G. Komen Foundation, it seems, has other concerns.

Photo from jdmith1021 via flickr.

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Wakeup N.

4:49PM PDT on Apr 5, 2012

I realize that Komen G for the cure and Nancy Brinker has really messed things up, but this non profit organization located in the United States of America is right neck and neck with her with her antics and pink washing schemes, only she hides behind her MD title.

https://vimeo.com/39749614

April 5
send a green star

Debbie C.

9:43AM PST on Feb 22, 2012

Petition signed!!! I used to walk in our support for Susan G. Komen Foundation, but not any more. I will Never donate or walk for them again. From now on my donation will go directly to Planned Parenthood.

February 22
send a green star

Jackie A.

7:46AM PST on Feb 16, 2012

Thanks for sharing :-(

February 16
send a green star

Cheryl L.

5:44PM PST on Feb 12, 2012

It's not too uncommon for something that starts out small with good intentions to balloon into something that greedy people use for their own self-enrichment more than anything. When a so-called charity gets this big and SELLS stuff, that sounds like a business to me ... a for-profit business. When the heads of these "charities" make astronomical wages and benefits, that's when the whole thing starts to smell bad. When you get "political" people from high places working in charities or religious organizations, you have trouble ... and the money usually gets steered towards their favorite "earmarked" projects, etc.

Sometimes things need to come around full circle. When the rich get involved, the rich get richer and the disadvantaged get screwed over.

February 12
send a green star

Ann S.

2:19PM PST on Feb 9, 2012

SGK always smelled of a sham to me.

February 9
send a green star

Patricia M.

11:35AM PST on Feb 3, 2012

Shame on Komen Foundation... And I will never wear a Pink Ribbon again... Back stabbers and hypocrites is what they are, afraid to defend the women of this country and go up against the rich, uncaring politicians who are making us women their victims...

February 3
send a green star

11:32AM PST on Feb 3, 2012

As women, we are the birthers of yesterday, today & tomorrow. And as such, we alone have the ONLY RIGHT to dictate what goes on with our bodies, except maybe the Creator. This stopping of funding is a hypocracy when there are so much governmental funds just bring put into the raising, including paying foster parents, of children of drug users, unfit parents, least to mention just plain orphans. Yes, too much is going there & more will follow if we have our womanly rights taken away. Ladies, it is time to band together, like those of another era who won us our right to vote. There is funding folks, it is just the government is spending elswhere & the hell with us in this country, or how much did they waste on a senseless war the killed our future fathers and mothers needlessly... Yes, needlessly because it was more than the Twin Towers, or Bin Laden, it was, in reality, a war to secure oile rights, nothing more.

Stephanie E.

6:39AM PST on Feb 3, 2012

Komen donations aren't up in my area. the only thing up is the number of women banding together and boycotting anything with a pink ribbon and pulling out in droves from the race for the cure. Sad when political nonsense is more important than a mother who might be able to see her children grow up had she had access to a mammogram. I would have died had i not had access to a pap smear. Grow up people and quit holding the American public hostage as a tool for dirty politics.

John Z.

6:23AM PST on Feb 3, 2012

Supported in their decision, seems the Susan Goodman Komen Foundation's donations are up over 100% since their withdrawal from PP.

Keni W.

5:14AM PST on Feb 3, 2012

Every woman's right to choose her own reproductive health care is an unequivocal human right. The singular purpose of the so-called "right to life/RTL" movement is to immorally deny this most basic right.

The RTL movement would HAVE NO EFFECTIVENESS nor would ANYONE pay any attention to it but for its violent attacks and murders of women and their doctors. Randall Terry and his RTL totally depend on a terrorist network of fanatical killers for their influence and effectiveness. Without these violent attacks, women who need reproductive and abortion services would completely ignore the RTL telling them what to do with their bodies and their family planning. It is utterly cowardly that Komen Foundation would acquiesce to anything that the Right-to-Life movement represents.

Women deserve better than this. That foundation has diminished itself and furthered the Right Wing intrusion into every woman's personal healthcare decisions. This is shameful.