As a breast cancer survivor, I was astonished to read that the Susan G. Komen Foundation, which has supported breast health for women by sponsoring runs, walks, and other fund raising activities, has withdrawn its support from Planned Parenthood.
"Susan G. Komen for the Cure is the country’s best-known and best-funded breast cancer organization. Known for it’s iconic pink ribbon and annual Race for the Cure event, the organization has invested nearly $2 billion in cancer education and research since its founding in 1982.
But today, bowing to political pressure, Komen for the Cure announced that it is severing its partnership with Planned Parenthood and will stop providing hundreds of thousands of dollars in grants that allow their centers to perform breast exams on women who could not otherwise get them.
Since anti-abortion activists and their Republican allies ratcheted up their crusade against Planned Parenthood last year, they’ve targeted any and all allies of the organization to try to make inroads, including the cancer charity. Planned Parenthood provides birth control, STD testing, and cancer screenings to low-income women.
In a press release Planned Parenthood said it was deeply saddened and disappointed by the decision."
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SGK is no longer a charitable organization whose purpose is to educate women on breast health and to support other organization that do the same. SGK has become a political entity that caters to a narrow group of conservatives who insist on withdrawing a very valuable and needed health service because of their personally held beliefs.
I will no longer support anything the SGK organization sponsors; since, through their shameful actions, that organization has shown it is not in the business of saving women's lives, but in conforming to political ideology.
Any contributions that I normally give to SGK will now go to Planned Parenthood.
PLEASE SIGN THE PETITION.
UPDATE:
"The Komen Foundation's public rationale for defunding lifesaving services at Planned Parenthood clinics throughout the country "is that Planned Parenthood is under investigation in Congress—a probe launched by a conservative Republican who was urged to act by anti-abortion groups."
According to Komen's spokesperson, the charity's new policy bars grants to organizations that are under such investigations. Specifically, Komen has decided to sever financial ties if a grant applicant or any of its affiliates is "currently under a local, state or federal formal investigation for financial or administrative impropriety or fraud."
When the money flows out of Komen to clinics to pay for mammograms and other screenings, Komen has decided to rely on the existence of an "investigation" meritorious or not, politically motivated or not to justify its defunding.
With respect to the money flowing in to Komen?
That's a whole other story.
Take, for example, Bank of America, a Komen "corporate partner":
Bank of America and Susan G. Komen™ are proud to have partnered to bring an end to breast cancer. Like the millions of mothers, daughters, families and friends who have been affected by this disease, we want to work together to put an end to this disease. From February 2012 to May 2015, Bank of America is guaranteeing a minimum of $1,000,000 to Susan G. Komen™ in conjunction with its Pink Ribbon Banking products. Since 2009, Bank of America has contributed more than $2.7 million to Susan G. Komen™ in conjunction with this program.Yes, that's the same Bank of America that is "currently under a local, state or federal formal investigation for financial or administrative impropriety or fraud."
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