Susan G. Komen Foundation Backs Down; Will Resume Funding of Planned Parenthood

Hate to hear this. Komen would have continued grants through this year regardless, so it isn’t as though there is an immediate stoppage of grants to Planned Murder. Komen also continues to deny the link between abortion and contraceptive use to breast cancer.

The good news is that awareness about the Komen Foundation’s support of the largest abortion provider in the US is sky high now.  There’s no excuse for people who assert that they are anti-abortion to give money to the Komen Foundation or any other foundation that supports Planned Parenthood.

If you can cancel your checks, I’d do so.

Tom Peters over at American Papist doesn’t frame this as having caved. It seems it’s a bit more complex than that…

I do agree with his point that it’s VERY unlikely ANY charity will ever START funding Planned Parenthood again.

It makes you wonder.  Who had the power and the money to force such a quick and total turnaround.  It was certainly the money, for that seems to drive everything.  It is also significant that virtually nowhere in the coverage of this over the last few days was the issue framed correctly.  This is not about women’s health; it is about the murdering of human beings.

Fr. Michael+

Interestingly the headline over at the liberal Daily Kos is that the media got the story wrong and Komen hasn’t reversed. If Tom Peters and the Daily Kos agree on the facts - I’m inclined to ignore the claim that they have reversed their position.

Of course this will muddy the waters and probably take the heat off this topic however…

Just heard Andrea Mitchell on MSNBC talking about Komen now being able to reclaim the moral high ground.  Her comment certainly left my head spinning!

If Komen expects ever again to receive donations from sincere pro-lifers, they had better make up their mind and be crystal clear about severing all donations to PP.  As long as doubt remains, I have a sufficiently long list of worthy causes that can use my modest donations.

Geez, on the Sen. Rubio thread I posted, A key question [in my mind] is how solid that support will be when the left ratchets up the rhetoric for abortion

About as solid as quicksand?

They may as well change the name of their organization while they are at it.  Because from this point forward the name Susan G. Komen has about as much credibility as Lizzie Borden.

On the initial thread, I tried to mitigate greg’s concern about them acting only because of their policy not to deal with organizations under government investigation:
“But it is heartening in these days of Obamas and Schoris that at least someone has the decency to follow their own freaking rules.”

How silly of me. Of course they can’t be bothered to have enough integrity to do something, even for the simple reason of being people of their word. The cause must go forward, at any cost.

Oh, btw, you can tweet your views to the Susan G. Komen Foundation: @komenforthecure

When money is given to a liberal cause, it is always couched in charitable terms (‘our mission of saving women’s lives’), yet the only explanation for redirecting money would be ‘political’ or ‘penalizing.’

It is clear in my mind that Susan G Komen sponsors abortion - and that is sufficient for me to withhold any donation and to discourage others from donating. 

But apart from that, who would support an organization that has proven itself to be so very bumbling, mealy mouthed, mercurial, and politically driven? 

Well, one of the following two things is true:

1. If the Komen Foundation has no PR firm, they need to hire one.

2. If they do have a PR firm, they need to fire it.

They’ve fouled this up beyond belief.

The free market solution is for there to be widespread publicity as to which cancer charities support the organization and which do not.  Let donors decide where to send their dollars.

An earlier post said that the American Cancer Society, among others, also funds.  I have no clue.

As someone who has lost family members to breast cancer, as this debate proceeds I hope we can keep in mind that breast cancer education and screening is a good thing, and needs to be promoted most among those who might be least likely to get it elsewhere. That doesnt mean I support subsidizing Planned Parenthood, I do not.  It just means that having seen the very difficult disease progression, and death, I don’t want anyone else to go through that, even those who have engaged in other wrongs.

The March of Dimes is also connected to Planned Parenthood.

I just wrote Komen a $1000.00 check, tore it up, and sent it to them with a nice note expressing my disgust.

Greg wrote;

They’ve fouled this up beyond belief.

I have a strange feeling in my gut that the Republican Party is likely to even out do these folks come this fall.

Not good folks, not good.  In Christian love, may I suggest paying attention to Glenn Beck and his prophetic calls to “prepare”.

Any surprise here?
When was the last time any conservative organization, viewpoint, or position withstood the pressure from the left/press?
Be it in politics, theology, culture-war, etc., the conservatives are always quick to crumble, give up, apologize, clarify, withdraw, re-state, amend, change positions, and often end up fighting or insulting those who are actually supporting and cheering them.
I have seen this play out time and time again. It never took longer than a few days before I got disappointed in this sort of situation.  Whenever I get excited that at last someone is making a good point, or taking a strong and needed position on the culture war, theological issues, or in politics, the air is let out of the bag before I could say Jack Daniels.
How many schools, colleges, institutions, businesses, organizations, churches, and individuals have held to a conservative position longer than the first wave of challenge from the Left for any conservative stance?

Fr. Kingsley Jon-Ubabuco
Arlington Texas

The left needs to continue the “side activities” Planned Parenthood, like breast health, etc, in order to maintain the cover that it is not primarily an abortion provider.

When organizations remove funding for these smoke screen activities, it exposes the primary mission of Planned Parenthood, which is abortion.

Reminds me of the concept of the “front business” that organized crime uses, like those fantastic Italian restaurants that charge prices that are too low to stay in business. I love those places!

What’s really great here is that more people will be asking if other charities are involved with PP. Clarity is a wonderful thing.

I never trusted the Susan Komen foundation ever since they wouldn’t help one of our needy cancer patients when asked. Then I saw them suing other charities over “Race for the ____” copyright. Now this.

#4. Fr. Michael,
“It makes you wonder.  Who had the power and the money to force such a quick and total turnaround.” The father of non other than Bill Gates used to be head of planned parenthood.

I just “googled” and found that Livestrong joined with Bloomberg to up support for PP.  They cite the “cancer screening services” PP offers as their justification.  Sadly, it is time to shut down the support to all of these double minded charities.  Dedicating yourself to saving cancer victims while supporting abortion is the definition of “oxymoron”.

Ummmm#18.  I think Bishop Lawrence and the Diocese of South Carolina has put up an extremely good fight against uber Liberal +Kate. Start with his consecration back in 2008 where +KJS was NOT invited and did NOT show up.  Since then, we have had to fight the liberals in TEC a few times.

What is Livestrong?

Does anyone have a list of organizations that fund PP?

Livestrong is Lance Armstrong’s foundation.

If SGK wants to save women’s lives, they better start in the womb.  Selective abortion of females is a growing trend, even in this country.

Livestrong is Lance Armstrong’s charity for cancer treatment, I believe. They make those little yellow plastic bracelets that people wear, saying “livestrong”. Tis a pity.

This bad publicity event will hopefully greatly reduce the cross donations from other organizations to PP. We need to turn the light on for all to what what is going on.

I love the “Internets” !

The SGK pink t-shirt, for which I paid a ton of money to wear to work in support of SGK, just became a dust wrag.

I read today that yesterday the donations to SGK increased 100%.  If they want to do what is “fair” and “right” they should return those donations, the vast majority of which were made in support of the now reversed separation from PP.

Does anyone know for certain of a breast cancer charity (or general cancer charity) which does NOT give grants or other funds to PP?

I’m extremely disappointed to hear that Livestrong supported PP in this. The whole business is absolutely disgusting.

As someone who cycles, I once saw Lance Armstrong as the epitome of skill, work ethic and motivation. His book, “It’s Not About the Bike” was excellent. He is an avowed atheist and not the role model he once appeared to be. Among other things, although he denies doping, at least three teammates claim they witnessed his doping. The bloom is off the rose.

Here I was on the verge of sending a nice congratulatory note with a check - albeit small.  The only thing stopping me is I can’t find the check book.  Good thing.  In stead, I wrote Ms. Brinker a note essentially telling her that I can change my mind too.

Sadly SC blue cat lady, I think you a citing an exception where as Fr. Kingsley is closer to the point.  It’s just to damn easy to be liberal, just like it’s too damn easy to be slothful and sloppy.  Leaving a mess is easy.  Cleaning it up is the hard part.  Too many “conservatives” cave, it’s the easy thing to do.

I am with Sarah. This is a big black eye on Susan Komen and Planned Parenthood. The back and forth about, it’s because they do not provide mammograms. It because Planned Parenthood is under investigation…all bogus.

There was a discussion of the in Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Apparently no abortion provide links.

Pat Dague at Transfigurations posted on the charities that support Planned Parenthood and embryonic stem cell research.

I looked at the list, which includes those bodies that support emb. stem cell research. It seems to include every major research organization, from the American Cancer Asso. to National MS Society.  I have no way of verifying the validity of the list, nor does it seem to leave any alternative for supporting needed research in these areas.

I’m wondering if the info on embryonic stem cell research isn’t out of date.  I can’t remember the details, but a research organization here in California (which approved state funded support of ESCR in a referendum)recently abandoned ESCR because it produced no results and adult stem cell research has led to all sorts of helpful interventions.

SC Blue Cat Lady,
I hear you. I understand the situation in SC and some few other instances where conservatives have shown some back-bone . But as Nikolaus points out, these are exceptions rather than the rule.

Of course, I know what I am talking about (my #18 posting supra), being a priest in the Fort Worth Diocese of Bishop Iker. I remember how many of us voted with our Diocese and vowed to stand to the end with our Bishop. Don’t ask me how many are left standing now.

Remember how many of us, respectively, as bishops, priests, deacons, seminarians, lay leaders, etc. that were at Plano in October 2003 “taking a stand”?  Well, about 2600 Episcopalians signed on to “A Place to Stand: A Call to Action”.  What is the count now of those who are still taking that stand? 
Remember soon after the “Place to Stand” gathering, how letters from bishops, rectors, vicars, and other leaders to their respective congregations on the situation in our erstwhile church clearly stated their respective opposition to what the church was doing and where the church was going, and how we conservatives/orthodox would never allow that to ever happen? Where are those letter writers and presenters now?

Personally, I know of many friends who were with me in the “fight” way back from Sewanee who no longer want to have anything to do with. They wouldn’t even talk to me now. Why? Well, unlike them, I am still taking that stand, while they have moved on with acceptance and even support of positions they had previously vowed to fight against to the end.

Of course, this situation is not confined to conservatives in the church: it is the same story in the culture-war, in politics, in academia, etc.
It is easier to go with the flow than against it.

Fr. Kingsley Jon-Ubabuco
Arlington Texas

Just as soon as I posted the above comment #40, here comes the Vanderbilt story on their new policy and conservatives that are affected by it.

I will probably be saying more on the Vanderbilt situation, as a parent whose 5 of 6 six children went to/are currently at Vanderbilt under- and post-graduate schools.

Fr. Kingsley+

That donation I discussed on the last thread?  Not so much.

It is bad enough to know that The Episcopal Church has submitted to the lobbying efforts of pro-abortion bullies at the RCRC (Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice) and have officially affiliated the church with that pro-abortion organization.
But now we see that the Komen Foundation has allowed their organization to be bullied into handing over money to Planned Parenthood regardless of whether it is in the best interest of the Breast Cancer patients they represent. 
We seem to have come to the point where charitable organizations quietly submit to this kind of public extortion rather than facing the truth and making common sense decisions regarding where donations and taxes can be used for the purpose intended and for the most good.

43.  “public extortion?  You just nailed it, Betty See!  That’s EXACTLY what it is!

It is bad enough to know that The Episcopal Church has submitted to the lobbying efforts of pro-abortion bullies at the RCRC

As I pointed out on another thread, it is actually worse than that, TEC has a member of the board, you’d never guess who-
http://episcopaldigitalnetwork.com/ens/2012/01/17/elizabeth-kaeton-elected-to-the-national-board-of-the-religious-coalition-for-reproductive-choice/
You might say that the RCRC has submitted itself to the lobbying of pro abortion bullies from TEC.

Many women endure uncomfortable and sometimes painful mammograms knowing that there are probably less painful and more accurate (and unfortunately more expensive) methods for detecting breast cancers.
I can’t help but wonder what would have been discovered and funded for the detection and treatment of breast cancer if the Komen foundation had devoted its funds to this purpose rather than diverting charitable money to Planned Parenthood.

One of the things I am learning is that is is apparently common for non-profits to fund each other.  Another thread has a longer list, but I recall that Lance Armstrong’s “Livestrong” also funds Planned Parenthood.  Can someone shed light onto the ethics of this? 

I am the treasurer of a homeless shelter.  We are fighting for every penny of revenue so there is no way we would provide funds to another agency except to provide specific services for our clients that we cannot provide.  This would be an expense, not a donation or grant. 

I am also aware that the internet is allowing even relatively small donors to become rather savvy about their giving and seriously research to whom they give their money.  They fund “A” because they like their mission and they can know how well that agency is run and how efficiently they do their work.  They don’t like aspects of “B’s” mission or they do not feel it is well run.

It strikes me that it is a breech of trust with one’s donors and a misuse of those donations to be funding other non-profits.  The only rationale I can come up with is that a.) the other agency provides services that correspond to your mission and b.) your donation/grant is restricted to purposes that align with that mission.

But even if you restrict your donation to purposes which you can approve, there’s the old “money is fungible” thing. If the group getting your money has as part of its mission anything which is morally unacceptable to you, then your money, even if you restrict it to the part of their mission that you can approve, frees up other money to be used for the unacceptable part - like abortion. I agree that it’s a breech of trust to give money to other non-profits without making it perfectly clear to donors that that’s happening.

An FYI - earlier this week, I called the Susan G. Komen Foundation to request a refund of my donation. Lines were busy so I left a message. Today, my donation was refunded to my credit card, so if you made a donation you are now unhappy with, give them a call. I also plan to follow up with a letter explaining my refund request—don’t know if it will do any good, but the more they hear, the more they know.

Surprised they refunded it - guess they couldn’t risk any more ill will. Good for you for speaking up!

#41 Fr.Kingsley+, Have you any more news/comment on the Vanderbilt story? I somehow don’t think this could have happened under previous Vanderbilt Chancellor Alex Heard (1980s).