Loon takes over Komen Foundation, cuts off Planned Parenthood funding

Because there's no reason to think that a poor woman who's gotten her health care from PP in her 20s and 30s might ask, upon turning 40, if they do mammograms?

 

PP doesn't do mammograms. They hire people to examine you and then refer you to places with the machines.

 

Makes sense; I could see the Komen Foundation taking that approach. Nevertheless, all religious aspects aside, I could also see the Komen Foundation not donating to PP simply because because the Komen's more narrowly focused.

 

Didn't realize that.

 

Horse shit. The motivation here is clear. Handel got the power to push her agenda and used it, not caring how much damage it does to the Komen Foundation.

 

So, couldn't Komen just eliminate the middle man, and provide vouchers -- or something -- so women could go to these "places with the machines"?

 

I don't know this.

Their research may have shown them that being involved with Planned Parenthood limited their fundraising and sponsorship opportunities.

The problem is that if they had never funded Planned Parenthood, there would be no controversy. But, having funded it, they've handled this poorly.

If they really wanted to do this, they should have mailed/emailed their supporters and told them. They should have spoken of the good work Planned Parenthood does, and let people know how they could donate directly to Planned Parenthood.

They should have framed is as a mutual parting of friends, who just have different agendas, both focused on women's health.

 

The book (and now movie) Pink Ribbons Inc. lambasted the whole world of Komen-like fundraising, and how it turned into a corporate marketing opportunity more than a meaningful effort to end breast cancer. The book and movie don't impugn the motives of everything doing a pink ribbon walk -- it's about the people who collect the money.

http://www.thestar.com/article/1124845--pink-ribbons-inc-review-not-so-pretty-in-pink

I'll say this as the son of a 35-year breast cancer survivor. The whole pink-ribbon thing drives me nuts. My mom, who has beds and yarn to make whatever thing you want in your personal cancer color (did you know all cancers have their official colors?), even has her limits, like rolling her eyes the pink-ribbon-sporting Santa she got from her nieces. I especially can't believe people still talk about raising breast cancer awareness. Are we not aware this exists?

 

Komen is essentially a marketing company. This much is true.

 

Bringing it to everyone's house -- say a very good friend of yours is doing the 3-Day this year and comes to your door for a fund-raising pitch. (Not a mass email, those are easy enough to avoid, but an actual person-to-person encounter.) Do you take a political stance and tell the person no way? Or do you grit your teeth and, in the interest of friendship, give the $25 as you would for a lot of "causes" you may not agree with?

 

If you agree strongly enough, I think you tell your friend.

But, if you agree with Komen's core mission, I think you're cutting off you nose to spite your face. Do you really want less money funding cancer research because of this? Were they a good organization before this, but now they are a bad one?

And, I can personalize this as well, because my family dealt with something very similar.

Mom has MS. We did the MS Walk for years. Put together a big team, raise a lot of money. Some co-workers and business associates of mine were incredibly generous. Before getting involved, I did not realize how many people were touched by MS.

But, then the National MS Society got involved in the stem cell controversy. My folks are very pro-life, and disagreed with their stand.

They also stopped supporting the National MS Society. Was it the good or right decision? I don't know. I still donate to friends to participate in the walk.

And, the National MS Society believed stem cell research was important in finding a cure. Planned Parenthood's core mission is not aligned with Komen's

Komen can still fund breast exams without tying itself to Planned Parenthood.

 

Judging by my Facebook friends -- who represent all varieties of the spectrum -- I don't think there's going to be too much gritting-and-bearing-it. If someone asked me (and KF's withdrawal of support bothered me that much), I'd probably pledge but reduce the amount (and keep quiet about it) and then forward the reduction to PP.