Last night commenter Liberal Elite wrote something that I couldn’t stop thinking about:
Looking at the whole picture, it’s easy to see this as a betrayal of women.
Betrayal. The word fits.
For those of you who have been reading me, you are aware of how deeply breast cancer has touched my life. My friend battled for her life awash in a sea of Komen pink. Her house was filled with it, and she deeply associated with Komen. They symbolized the fight against breast cancer. More accurately, Komen was synonymous with breast cancer survivors, patients and those lost to the disease.
Most people drawn into Komen’s 5ks, walks and products did so because someone in their life was diagnosed with breast cancer. It was personal.
It also wasn’t political. Which is why Komen grew into the number one breast cancer charity.
Their branding was flawless. Komen = breast cancer. Their method of growing their brand, by enlisting breast cancer survivors, patients, and the family and friends of those who died from the disease, was guaranteed to lead to success. In my case, when my friend with breast cancer asked me to support Komen I didn’t question her request. If this charity mattered to her, then it mattered to me. She believed in Komen. She believed in the pink ribbons, the tee shirts, the walks for The Cure.
She believed, so I believed. And now I can’t shake the feeling of betrayal. The more that comes out about this “charity” the angrier I become. Only 20 something percent of funds go to research? With a number like that how can Komen’s goal be viewed as finding The Cure? And I do blame myself for not researching this organization, but Komen thrived on our ignorance. When your loved one is facing a potentially fatal disease and asks you to support a charity… you do it.
Oh yes, Komen picked their ambassadors well.