Komen For The Cure and Planned Parenthood: My Reaction
A lot of people have been asking my take on the dust-up after Komen for the Cure decided to sever ties with Planned Parenthood. I spent time on the phone with officials at Komen headquarters yesterday and was buried under a crush of emails from you guys. My feelings in a moment but first a few things I need to note.
*I am an Ambassador for Komen for the Cure’s Circle of Promise campaign, which seeks to change the course of the disease in women of color.
*I am a personal friend of Nancy Brinker. I remain in awe of what she has done on the front lines of the breast cancer movement. I don’t think that can or should be diminished.
*My goal is the same as it is for Komen for the Cure, to eradicate breast cancer as a life threatening disease. Because of that, I will continue my work with the organization.
Yesterday the folks at Komen forwarded me their official statement regarding this issue.
At Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the women we serve are our highest priority in everything we do. Last year, we invested $93 million in community health programs, which included 700,000 mammograms. Additionally, we began an initiative to further strengthen our grants program to be even more outcomes-driven and to allow for even greater investments in programs that directly serve women. We also implemented more stringent eligibility and performance criteria to support these strategies. While it is regrettable when changes in priorities and policies affect any of our grantees, such as a longstanding partner like Planned Parenthood, we must continue to evolve to best meet the needs of the women we serve and most fully advance our mission.
It is critical to underscore that the women we serve in communities remain our priority. We are working directly with Komen Affiliates to ensure there is no interruption or gaps in services for women who need breast health screening and services.
Our grant making decisions are not about politics–our priority is and always will be the women we serve. Making this issue political or leveraging it for fundraising purposes would be a disservice to women.
I have no idea what goes into changing the criteria by which Komen reviews and grants money to recipients, though I’m guessing it’s quite involved. I work with them, I know there are good people in the organization and it literally pains me to see the work they are doing, at least temporarily, overshadowed by this fight. I also have a personal history with Planned Parenthood an organization that does so much for so many women, including a young woman growing up in Sacramento, California who was in need of low cost birth control.
What’s the answer? I really don’t know. Komen has the right to give dollars to whomever it sees fit, however it sees the best use of that money. I also sympathize with Planned Parenthood, which does far more than abortion-related services, a fact I wish it would make better known.
I hear you and understand your frustration. I’m not a fan of the erosion of women’s reproductive rights and I hope many of you will also focus your ire on those determined to limit those and not the organization founded in part to help women after they’ve heard some of the most awful news they ever will.
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#3 written by Wanda 3 months ago
I personally think it’s a good idea. They can still do great work apart from PP. If PP doesn’t want to be known as an “abortion center” then it needs to stop killing helpless babies. 53 million to be exact. Abortion is a billion dollar industry. I don’t blame Komen foundation. I wouldn’t want to be associated with it anymore either. How can you say you support life, but give money to people who kill so many? It’s like an oxymoron!
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#5 written by Wanda 3 months ago
Hi Renee, sorry for the delay. My computer keeps freezing.
I actually have read it several different places while doing research on the subject. According to CNN, the CDC, and other sources I’ve read, there have been 50-53 millions babies killed since Roe vs Wade. Was that all PP? I don’t know but they themselves reported 329,455 abortions LAST YEAR alone. If that’s a drastic number, I’m sorry but that’s what I keep finding in my research. I’ve even watched a documentary where one of the owners/managers of a PP center discussed how they mislead many women during that frighening time (often single, pregnant, and scared) and convinced them to kill they’re babies. I usually try to keep an open mind about things, but whether it’s 300,000 or millions that’s too many innocent babies. That is really a billion dollar industry and it’s sad. They good the do is overshowed by that fact. -
@Wanda: See here’s the problem. A lot of people quote a statistic but don’t have the source. I would love to see an actual link (from an impartial reporting source), that says PP was responsible for 53 million abortions. You won’t find it because PP is not responsible for all of those abortions. Abortion-related services are only a (small) portion of what they offer women and sorry I totally disagree that that overshadows the good they do. Thanks for your comment.
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#7 written by Juli 3 months ago
Yes Wanda where are those figures coming from?
I have to say I was shocked and surprised about when the Korman foundation made this decision. I can’t help to believe that political pressure was also behind it. But I support the foundation and all it has done for women fighting breast cancer. I agree Rene. Planned Parenthood needs to work harder to educate the public about what it does for to help low income woman access vital medical needs. Some of these services include birth control, brest exams, cervical cancer detection, and other gynological cancer screening. Not to mention STD counseling. Oh and yes they do perform abortions legally and safely. Though with the advancement of birth control those numbers have dropped signifacantly to WAY BELOW 53 MILLION. GEEEZ!!!! Instead of focusing on abortion people should focus on how many lives both these foundations have saved and helped. -
#10 written by Wanda 3 months ago
Well, we would have to know exactly who’s impartial now wouldn’t we? Do we really know the motives behind anything that we hear or see on TV? Is CNN, the CDC, FOX? Who? Is anybody in the forum? I’m was an impartial person looking for some information, whether good or bad, and that’s what I found from a variety of sources. Like it or not. It is what it is. Thanks for your comment, and yours as well, Juli, but nothing I see or hear surprises me anymore because this is the day we live in; when wrong looks like right and right looks like wrong. Have a nice day, everyone.
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Ok. I think Komen is weaseling their way out of this one by saying their reason wasn’t “politics,” it was new “guidelines.”
Wanna know the “guidelines?” As quoted from cbsnews.com: “Leslie Aun, a spokesperson for Komen, told the Associated Press that Komen crafted new guidelines that prohibits organizations under investigation from the government from receiving financial support.”
Hmmmm… so, the anti-choice Republicans are “investigating” Planned Parenthood. Very true. Why? “Planned Parenthood is the subject of investigations by Republican members of Congress for allegedly using federal dollars toward providing abortions.” But NOTHING has come of these investigations. NO proof. They are all just policitics, too.
But, now, Komen can say that PP doesn’t follow the “guidelines.”
Sounds like a whole BUNCH of politics if you call a spade a spade.
I will not be wearing a pink ribbon or supporting Komen any time soon.
At the VERY LEAST Komen should be admitting they are playing politics. At the VERY LEAST.
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@Wanda: This is why we will probably never have a consensus about this issue. At it’s core it’s about what you believe, between you and your God. This may surprise you but I am actually Pro-life. For MY LIFE. In other words, I would not have an abortion now if I found myself pregnant. I am also a married woman with education and means. BUT it is not my place to tell another woman what to do with her life and body. Doing what is right for your life and not trying to bend people to your will and beliefs seems like a really logical solution. But too many people get all up in arms, take their bat and ball and storm off in a huff because they didn’t hear what they wanted to or because their belief was challenged. That is not a way to build consensus or to have true understanding. Sadly though, something tells me you’ll never see this response.
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#14 written by Chris 3 months ago
Over the past five years, the Komen organization has given Planned Parenthood health centers the funds to provide over 200,000 clinical breast exams to low-income and uninsured women.
Komen’s sudden move to yank funding for these exams comes less than a year after they hired a new vice president, Karen Handel, who ran for governor of Georgia in 2010 on an aggressive anti-Planned Parenthood platform.
Nothing says “We’re committed to stamping out breast cancer by encouraging early mammograms” like eliminating funding specifically for women who can’t afford to pay for them otherwise.
The Susan G. Komen foundation is public enemy #1.
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@Chris: Komen will still provide mammograms to women who need them per their mission.
“Komen’s sudden move to yank funding for these exams comes less than a year after they hired a new vice president, Karen Handel, who ran for governor of Georgia in 2010 on an aggressive anti-Planned Parenthood platform.”
I’ll agree the timing look bad but until we have proof, this is speculative.
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Rene,
This is an interesting article expanding on the Komen fiasco: http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2012/02/top-susan-g-komen-official-resigned-over-planned-parenthood-cave-in/252405/
Apparently, Komen’s board was questioning whether to sever funding to PP for awhile. They formed a group to research it. The group came back and said “Keep the funding.” Then, the anti-abortion Republican Congressman started an investigation (which has found no improprieties) and the board jumped at the opportunity. They put a rule in place (to specifically target PP) that said they would cut off funding if you were being investigated by Congress for any reason. Not proven to have done something wrong. Just investigated.
In other words, any Congressman can now cut off Koman’s funding for any organization they dislike (for whatever reason) by simply opening a baseless investigation of that organization.
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Wanda,
Here’s the problem. First you say:
“If PP doesn’t want to be known as an “abortion center” then it needs to stop killing helpless babies. 53 million to be exact.”
That implies that Planned Parenthood has performed 53 million abortions. When pressed, you admit that the 50 million figure comes from the number of abortions done since Roe vs Wade and Planned Parenthood reported about 329,000 last year. I’d further ask how many of those abortions were for nonviable pregnancies or pregnancies where the life of the mother was at stake? In those instances, could you really claim that “babies were killed” if the fetus would never have been born alive or if the mother would have died had she brought the child to term? I don’t agree with using abortion as birth control, but I also won’t judge someone’s medical situation based on only knowing “she’s pregnant.”
Finally, do you know what the title of that documentary was and who produced it? Not every “documentary” is completely unbiased in their depiction of events. In fact, I’d wager that most are biased in one way or another. A PP manager using less-than-savory tactics to push pregnant women into abortions seems like a fishy claim to me and would require more proof than “some documentary at one point said they did.”
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#19 written by Wanda 3 months ago
@ Renee Ha! I just proved you wrong
I think you must have taken my tone for being angry or judgmental and it was neither. I was just answering your question on how I came up with that. I agree that we (people in general) will never agree because of so many different beliefs or none at all, that’s why I said, it is what it is. People have to resolve in their own minds whether things or right or wrong that’s why God gives us a conscious. So, no ma’am, I’m not swinging bats, just expressing my thoughts as I thought it was okay to do. I wasn’t expecting approval. I feel it’s perfectly fine to have different opinions.
@Techydad. I wasn’t trying to imply in my first post that PP killed all those babies. I was telling how many abortions there were reported and that they contribute to that number. So no sir, I didn’t feel “pressed” to admit anything and if the memory of the documentary ecapes my memory right now, so sue me. I also have sense enough to know that not EVERYTHING is unbiased. Thank u 4 your little comment, but I don’t have time today to outline all of my beliefs here on the site for your. As I stated, I was stating my thoughts, as you did yours. I do believe I’m allowed that. Thanks. -
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I always know that you have to vet to whom you give money. If you give money to Komen and are not happy with that decision then you should stop giving them the money and put it into Planned Parenthood. It is that simple.
I have always felt very strongly that the underdog usually wins in fights like these. There will hopefully be an outpouring of support for the breast cancer screenings and support Planned Parenthood provided. It is great to have a big name like Komen supporting and funding you, but in this case Planned Parenthood will have to rely on some other money to help these women.
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I agree with you, Ella. The pros/cons re abortion are not going to end in any of your lifetimes. So onward to solutions. Already over 400K has been donated to PP. People have vowed to not buy ‘pink’ anymore. Some have said that if they can, they will return things bought and donate their refund to PP.
For the repugnanticans the jig is up. Folks are aware of how down and dirty they can/will get. And making women angry was a biiiig mistake.
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#28 written by Wanda 3 months ago
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#29 written by Juli 3 months ago
I just read article( Mother Jones) that seems to throw dirt in the face of Korman’s reasoning for stopping funds. Of all place,s they are giving funds to Penn State. Is Penn State not being investigated? Nevertheless, a lot of these decisions are made behind closed doors and we may never know the truth. Planned Parenthood saved my life more than once. I will admit that as a person living with cancer I have often felt like I didn’t belong to the right cliche with all the pink ribbons and such. I am glad they are there for the women who have breast cancer and I tip my hat to all they have done, but I don’t know how many times I’ve felt unnoticed and unimportant because I got stuck with a rare gynological cancer. Planned Parenthood has always given me avenues for help. I really hope they haven’t been thrown under the political bus. Heavy heart indeed Rene.
I respect your beliefs Wanda, and I hope you are a foster parent or a member of CASA, becaue I have been a foster mother and I have to tell you that the life of an unwanted child is HELL. Way more pain endured than a fetus. And society as a whole pays in many ways for that pain. -
#30 written by Lauren 3 months ago
While I have been fortunate that I have not had to use Planned Parenthood’s services, I will not longer be supporting Komen. In this climate, where women’s health and rights are at risk, the timing is troubling. Where women are uninsured and under-insured, PP is definately needed. And the fact that their new VP ran for govenor of GA on the platform of de-funding PP, the hand writing is on the wall. If Komen was so concerned with things at PP, the right thing, in my opinion, would have been to work with PP. At the end of the day, women’s health is the goal that both organizations are supposed to be striving for. So Rene, while I respect your decision, I will no longer support Komen. I am concerned that women’s rights and health are are being decided by those who have their own agenda.
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#31 written by Rachel 3 months ago
I’ve gotten several texts and posts about the news about Komen discontinuing mammography funding through Planned Parenthood. I have a heavy heart that is full of mixed emotions about this that most of you won’t understand. First and foremost, I am 110% PRO LIFE. I have always been and always will be. That being sad, I have to ask you, as Christians how do we say one life is more precious or valuable than another? Is a young women without funds for health screening’s life worth less than an un-born baby? Aren’t we all created equal? Shouldn’t we have equal access to health screening and treatment?
Through my breast cancer journey, I have met several women that were diagnosed at a young age just like me expect that they didn’t have private health insurance AND didn’t qualify for government assistance because they were too young or made to much money but not enough for private ins or not offered group coverage through work. Where do many of these young ladies go for basic women’s health issues? You guessed it, Planned Parenthood. Like many of you, years ago I only thought “baby killer” when I heard the name Planned Parenthood. However, through the relationships that I have formed with many women from all over the country, I have learned that they do so much more. From my understanding, Komen National never funded mammography at PP but some “local” affiliates did because there was a community based need. Thankfully the Central Ga affiliate was never put in this situation because of volunteer clinics and other community non-profits that help take care of these women.
The Breast and Cervical Cancer Prevention and Treatment Act of 2000 gives states the option to provide medical assistance through Medicaid to eligible women who were screened for and found to have breast or cervical cancer, including precancerous conditions. Before these women qualify for treatment, they have to be screened. In Georgia, it doesn’t matter where you were screened (private practitioner, volunteer clinic or medical facility). Countless women across the country have just lost access to screening. We all know that early detection is key to survival of this deadly disease. How many women will now delay getting a mammogram because they don’t have $300 to pay for one?
As I said in the beginning, my heart is heavy. Until we all have equal access to screening and treatment, this disease will continue to take countless innocent lives.
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#34 written by TobyB 3 months ago
I am curious to see if your point of view changes after reviewing the published facts about PP on the following site: http://www.dianedew.com/sanger.htm
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@TobyB I have long known about Margaret Sanger and the roots of the movement she founded. That does not change my position or my feeling that it’s not my place to tell ANYONE what to do with their body. I am also aware that there are a lot of poor people who have just as much right to preventive care and education as the rest of us. I would love to see the number of children, born to single women in the African American community, be reduced through education and birth control (not abortion used as birth control). Thanks for your comment.
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I was stunned and shocked to hear the news, but based on Komen’s statement, maybe their motivation has more to do with tightening their own mission than anything else. Nonprofits are being slammed by the bad economy and shrinking donation dollars, few have the ability to fund the programs they could easily support a few years ago. If they have fewer funds to work with than they did a few years ago, they are going to want to put it in a place where they see measurable results… not into general services. I have seen nonprofits run aground because they ended up supporting too many projects that were off mission. Last thing you would want to do when times are tough.