Via Washington Post:
The Associated Press reports that Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the nation’s leading breast-cancer charity, will cut off its funding to Planned Parenthood affiliates, where the foundation has traditionally paid for preventive screening services.
And here I thought they cared about breast cancer. I thought they cared about breast cancer screenings, early detection, and saving lives. Looks like I was wrong, since it seems that the Susan G. Komen Foundation has decided that breast cancer is political. Guess helping poor women with breast cancer detection is one of those entitlements that must be stopped.
And this is political.
Kalli Joe Gray of Daily Kos asks: “And the fact that Karen Handel, the foundation’s senior vice president of public policy, is “staunchly and unequivocally pro-life” is just a coincidence, right?”
I have given money to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure in the past, but I won’t be doing it again. And breast cancer is deeply personal to me. My best friend died of breast cancer on February 20, 2011. It is cause near and dear to my heart. As a young woman, before I had a job that offered health insurance, Planned Parenthood was my primary care physician. And the Republican tactic of making Planned Parenthood synonymous with abortion is just another one of their lies.
So what can we do? Mistermix at Balloon Juice offers advice:
That said, I’m confident that Komen’s funding will be replaced, and also that Komen will be a pale pink shadow of its former self unless it reverses this stupid decision and fires the people responsible. Check out list after list after list of Komen’s corporate sponsors. Do you think New Balance, Ford and Georgia-Pacific signed on for a public fight over Planned Parenthood? When Yoplait put a pink lid on its yogurt, did they do it to make it easier to boycott their products? Because that’s what’s going to happen. Unlike most boycotts, it’s easy to figure out which products you shouldn’t buy: anything that displays a pink ribbon with the Komen name.
As of today I will not buy any products sporting the pink ribbon with the Komen name. And I always bought those products – even though my family didn’t like Yoplait. In addition to stopping my financial contributions I will no longer participate in any Komen sponsored events. No more entrance fees for breast cancer walks or 5ks. No more purchasing items from their, or any other, stall at these events – and I spent a lot, because it was supposedly a “good” cause. But I guess Komen no longer believes in breast health for women who can only afford Planned Parenthood.
And from now on I will be donating my money to the Breast Health Emergency Fund. Please donate today.
(Link to Planned Parenthood’s response.)