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Komen racers gather at event. Photo by by Chris Shaffer.
I was listening to a talk radio show based here in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area this morning. Mark Davis, a North Texas radio staple since the early 90s, was discussing Susan G. Komen’s decision to defund Planned Parenthood. I was trying to call in because no one was mentioning the abortion-breast cancer link, when I got a text telling me Komen had reversed their decision.
Here is some of Komen’s official statement:
We want to apologize to the American public for recent decisions that cast doubt upon our commitment to our mission of saving women’s lives.
The events of this week have been deeply unsettling for our supporters, partners and friends and all of us at Susan G. Komen. We have been distressed at the presumption that the changes made to our funding criteria were done for political reasons or to specifically penalize Planned Parenthood. They were not.
Our original desire was to fulfill our fiduciary duty to our donors by not funding grant applications made by organizations under investigation. We will amend the criteria to make clear that disqualifying investigations must be criminal and conclusive in nature and not political. That is what is right and fair.
“Or is it what is gutless?” asked Mark Davis on the air this morning.
I had planned on saying two things if I managed to get on the air. The first thing: yes, it’s great that Komen defunded Planned Parenthood, but not great that it took a Congressional investigation to make them do it. It makes it seem like they are fleeing from controversy, when what they should be doing is taking a strong stand for women’s health. Planned Parenthood encourages women to make irresponsible, physically damaging decisions, and makes money off those decisions by offering to suck the decisions out of them and dispose them as medical waste. In the process, they mislead women about the fact that their decision is now a living human being.
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Tom Benning at the Dallas Morning News is reporting that Komen for the Cure has released the following statement from Nancy Brinker and the Susan G. Komen Board of Directors:
We want to apologize to the American public for recent decisions that cast doubt upon our commitment to our mission of saving women’s lives.
The events of this week have been deeply unsettling for our supporters, partners and friends and all of us at Susan G. Komen. We have been distressed at the presumption that the changes made to our funding criteria were done for political reasons or to specifically penalize Planned Parenthood. They were not.
Our original desire was to fulfill our fiduciary duty to our donors by not funding grant applications made by organizations under investigation. We will amend the criteria to make clear that disqualifying investigations must be criminal and conclusive in nature and not political. That is what is right and fair.
Our only goal for our granting process is to support women and families in the fight against breast cancer. Amending our criteria will ensure that politics has no place in our grant process. We will continue to fund existing grants, including those of Planned Parenthood, and preserve their eligibility to apply for future grants, while maintaining the ability of our affiliates to make funding decisions that meet the needs of their communities.
It is our hope and we believe it is time for everyone involved to pause, slow down and reflect on how grants can most effectively and directly be administered without controversies that hurt the cause of women. We urge everyone who has participated in this conversation across the country over the last few days to help us move past this issue. We do not want our mission marred or affected by politics – anyone’s politics.
Starting this afternoon, we will have calls with our network and key supporters to refocus our attention on our mission and get back to doing our work. We ask for the public’s understanding and patience as we gather our Komen affiliates from around the country to determine how to move forward in the best interests of the women and people we serve.
We extend our deepest thanks for the outpouring of support we have received from so many in the past few days and we sincerely hope that these changes will be welcomed by those who have expressed their concern.
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In the last 72 hours we’ve all heard countless times, the claim that Susan G. Komen’s decision to defund Planned Parenthood will mean that women die.
This seemingly genuine, widespread fear has evolved over the last few days, following statements by Planned Parenthood Director, Cecile Richards. On Jan. 31, she penned:
“To ensure that the Komen Foundation’s decision doesn’t jeopardize any woman’s access to lifesaving screenings and services, Planned Parenthood has launched a Breast Health Emergency Fund.”
Enraged at their leader’s dire predictions, Planned Parenthood supporters have taken to the web, making statements such as,
and,
These emotionally-charged statements would be understandable if they were based on facts. However they are not.
According to Planned Parenthood’s own figures,
- Of the 800,000 breast exams Planned Parenthood does each year, only 34,000 are funded by Susan G. Komen. That’s just 4.25%.
- Komen funded 700,000 breast exams in 2011. Of these, only an est. 34,000 were done by Planned Parenthood. That’s 4.86%.
What do these percentages mean for women seeking breast exams?
- Planned Parenthood has lost funding for only 5% of the breast exams they conduct. If Planned Parenthood can genuinely not afford to give this 5% of women breast exams, these women can easily go to another free or low-cost center.
- Susan G. Komen has not ceased providing funding for the breast exams they were funding Planned Parenthood to carry out (under 5% of the total breast exams Komen funds). Susan G. Komen will instead redirect that funding to other centers that provide breast exams, and that are on the front lines of women’s health care.
Let’s be absolutely clear. The accusation against Susan G. Komen that they will be responsible for jeopardizing women’s access to lifesaving breast exams, or that they will be responsible for women dying due to a breast exam being unavailable are patently unfounded scaremongering.
Susan G. Komen gave Planned Parenthood $680,000 in 2011, and $580,000 in 2010.This breast-cancer prevention funding has not simply vaporized. Sure, Planned Parenthood won’t enjoy it. However alternative, worthy women’s health centers on the front lines will now receive this funding – more likely than not, leading to fewer women dying due to lack of early detection of breast cancer.
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I think an eHarmony list can lend some insight into Planned Parenthood: Planned Parenthood is desperate. eHarmony has a list entitled, “Seven Signs of a Desperate Dater.” As I read through the list, I noticed that it perfectly describes Planned Parenthood’s current state. Tell me if you agree.
First, let’s define our terms, though. (If you haven’t noticed yet, I happen to LOVE definitions.) I also love words. Words have definitions. They are important. So, desperation is “a state of despair, typically one that results in rash or extreme behavior.” And to despair is “to be overcome by a sense of futility or defeat.”
Many people are currently predicting that abortion will end soon. This means that Planned Parenthood will no longer be a valid organization, and our country will change for the better. I happen to agree. True justice and equality always make the world a better place. True justice and equality include every innocent person getting the equal right to life. But enough of my rabbit trail; let’s get to eHarmony’s list, as applied to Planned Parenthood.
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Ultrasound at 14 weeks.
Texas’ new abortion sonogram law requires that woman receive a sonogram at least 24 hours before an abortion and that the doctor plays the sound of the baby’s heartbeat for the mother and gives her the option to view the ultrasound. Seems easy enough, but abortionists are furious, stating that the law will mean women will have to wait longer for their abortion, schedule two trips to the clinic instead of one, and force clinics to have the high-demand abortionist on hand to do the sonogram. In an interview on January 31 with The Texas Tribune, Peter Carmel, president of the American Medical Association, calls the new law, “a needless, dangerous interference with the practice of medicine by politicians.”
First of all, a woman should get an extra day to decide whether or not to abort her baby. This law allows her to view the image of her child and hear his or her heartbeat before making that final choice to end her baby’s life. The only people who would have a problem with this are the abortion providers who are now fearing that these women will change their mind about the abortion. That would mean the clinic has lost a client and in the end, that client’s money.
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What many have decried as an unusually nasty campaign got even nastier earlier this week, as Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich accused rival Mitt Romney of being insensitive to religious liberty and conscience rights:
“You want a war on the Catholic Church by Obama? Guess what: Romney refused to allow Catholic hospitals to have conscience in their dealing with certain circumstances,” Gingrich said, apparently referring to the handling of emergency contraception in universal health care laws.
But HotAir.com provides more context, revealing that the truth is more complex. In 2005, Romney actually did just the opposite: he vetoed a bill that would have forced Massachusetts hospitals to offer abortive contraception:
[T]his particular bill does not require parental consent even for young teenagers. It disregards not only the seriousness of abortion but the importance of parental involvement and so would weaken a protection I am committed to uphold.
I have spoken with medical professionals to determine whether the drug contemplated under the bill would simply prevent conception or whether it would also terminate a living embryo after conception. Once it became clear that the latter was the case, my decision was straightforward.
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It is my third week on the job. I am 24 years old. I think this place is pretty cool because it’s in downtown Dallas and they don’t care that I have my nose pierced. The offices are upstairs in a historic building with hardwood floors. I have my own giant office and a huge, ornate antique desk.
My boss is in her early 30s and just finished grad school at Columbia. She is the rich daughter of the rich owner of the business. I get the feeling she hired me because she thinks I am young and rad and she herself wishes to remain young and rad.
She asks me to go with her to run an important weekly errand. I feel important. I feel that her car is important. It is a BMW. It is very clean inside, with no sign of her two-year-old daughter but a sippy cup in the console. The upholstery is spotless. It smells like achievement.
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Who's the lucky subject of my latest blog? I'll give you a hint: she's so busy waging war on fetuses she didn't have time to iron her dress.
There are things you don’t know about me, readers. Mysterious, interesting things. Like, for example, the fact that I am not only a very important and highly sought-after writer — like Norman Mailer, only slightly prettier — but I have also been an actor and comedian for many years. And I have worked in live music for three years. (In case you’re wondering if I am surrounded by pro-abortion heathens, the answer is: yes!)
Sometimes, in the course of doing these things, I have found out stuff about famous people that remains unknown to most. Normally I keep my mouth shut about it, because I am a professional and I don’t care to get fired or lose friends. But today I have something to share.
Several years ago, some friends of mine wrote, produced, and directed a movie. One of the stars of that movie was Kate Walsh. I’m pretty sure this was right around the time “Grey’s Anatomy” kicked off. These friends of mine, who must remain anonymous, told me a little secret about Kate Walsh. Here it is. [ Read the rest of this article... ]
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Today the pro-life community applauded Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation following their announcement to halt funding to Planned Parenthood. Never one to miss a fundraising opportunity (Christmas, Mother’s Day…), the abortion giant is already calling on supporters for “emergency” donations. Planned Parenthood’s website states:
“Over the past five years, Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation funds have enabled Planned Parenthood health centers to provide nearly 170,000 clinical breast exams and referrals for more than 6,400 mammograms. These cancer detection and prevention programs saved the lives of women who often had nowhere else to turn for care.
Now, after facing criticism from anti-choice, anti-women’s health groups, the Komen Foundation has decided to stop supporting women seeking care at Planned Parenthood health centers. We are determined to make sure that these women can continue to get the care they need — and, as always, that means we are counting on you.
Please make your emergency contribution today to help us defend access to care and continue to protect and promote women’s health.”
What did they fail to mention? Well, two things.
First of all, contrary to Planned Parenthood claims, funding was not halted because of pro-life criticism of the Komen Foundation. Funding was halted because of criticism of Planned Parenthood. Planned Parenthood is currently under investigation for many abuses, including the cover up of sexual abuse and sex trafficking of minors. A spokeswoman for the Komen Foundation told Fox News that, “the cutoff results from the charity’s newly adopted criteria barring grants to organizations that are under investigation by local, state or federal authorities.” Nice attempt to shift the spotlight, Planned Parenthood.
Second, in their typical truth amnesia, Planned Parenthood danced around the fact that they don’t even provide women with mammograms. Though current Planned Parenthood tweets would have you believe that the state of women’s health is at risk, a March 2011 Live Action investigation discovered that Planned Parenthood’s claims to provide mammograms were completely false. Abortion is Planned Parenthood’s primary objective.
Full story here: Planned Parenthood CEO’s False Mammogram Claim Exposed
I applaud Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation in their decision to discontinue funding of Planned Parenthood. Though both groups are labeled pro-women and recognized by their bright pink logos, Susan G. Komen and Planned Parenthood are polar opposites. Komen saves lives, while Planned Parenthood destroys them for profit.
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Losing movements change their slogans often. The pro-abortion side continues to change their slogan. It used to be “reproductive rights” or “reproductive choice”, but today, “reproductive justice” is beginning to surpass other slogans. The pro-life movement has helped to awaken America to the fact that justice is more important than my rights and my choice. Planned Parenthood and company know we’re succeeding, and so they’re trying to jump on the bandwagon. Sorta.
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The pro-life community has reason to celebrate. The nation’s most successful cancer fundraising group, Komen for the Cure, has ended its partnership with Planned Parenthood. Leslie Aun, spokeswomen for Komen, says that the decision was based on new criteria the charity has adopted which doesn’t allow grants to be given to organizations that are under investigation, which Planned Parenthood is. Currently, Rep. Cliff Stearns, R-Fla., is looking into whether public money was used by Planned Parenthood on abortions rather than women’s health. As would be expected, Planned Parenthood is angry. They believe the real reason behind Komen’s decision to sever the relationship is pressure from pro-life groups.
“It’s hard to understand how an organization with whom we share a mission of saving women’s lives could have bowed to this kind of bullying,” Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood told The Associated Press. “It’s really hurtful.”
But the difference between Komen and Planned Parenthood is that Komen is actually working to save women’s lives from cancer, not just pretending to. While Richards would like the world to think that Planned Parenthood provides mammograms, they don’t. In fact, an investigation in March of 2011 by Live Action into whether or not Planned Parenthood provides mammograms, found that the claim is a complete lie.
“We don’t provide those services whatsoever,” admitted a staffer at Planned Parenthood of Arizona during one of the undercover phone calls inquiring about receiving a mammogram at a Planned Parenthood location.
Komen gave approximately $680,000 to Planned Parenthood in 2011 for breast cancer screening services. Planned Parenthood is now scrambling, they say, to find money to replace it in order to provide breast cancer screening to its patients. Perhaps the money can be found in the groups marketing budget.
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For years, pro-lifers have spoken about the link between breast cancer and abortion while questioning the Susan G. Komen Foundation’s monetary grants to Planned Parenthood. And for years, the Komen Foundation has continued to supply funds to the abortion giant.
Today, things have changed. This breaking news truly is a game changer. The Associated Press reports,
The nation’s leading breast-cancer charity, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, is halting its partnerships with Planned Parenthood affiliates – creating a bitter rift, linked to the abortion debate, between two iconic organizations that have assisted millions of women.
It’s about time a large pro-woman organization stood up to Planned Parenthood. Komen granted $680,000 to Planned Parenthood last year and $580,000 the year before. Though this is a large sum of money, it’s not a large percentage of Planned Parenthood’s overall income. The biggest win for the pro-life movement here comes because Komen—a nationally recognized and well-loved organization—has disassociated themselves with Planned Parenthood.
Komen Reverses Decision To Defund Planned Parenthood
BREAKING: New statement from Komen
The Numbers Don’t Lie: Planned Parenthood, Komen, & Breast Exams
Speaking of Desperation: Planned Parenthood’s Sinking Deeper
Ultrasound Law is “Dangerous” According to the American Medical Association
Newt Gingrich Tries to Paint Mitt Romney as an Enemy of Catholic Hospitals
How I Became Pro-Choice, Before I Became Pro-Life
This Celebrity Loves Abortion So Much She Gets Her Own Column
