Susan G. Komen Blinks- Page 4

[wexy]

Posted: 2/3/12 at 10:18am

^ You expect the Republicans to attack PP that isn't news.
But when an organization that is supposed to advocate women's health sells women up the river to mollify (I thinks the right word) the right wing then it is big news.

[ErikJ972]

Posted: 2/3/12 at 10:39am

They've also stopped funding stem cell research.

"In addition to pulling funds from Planned Parenthood for The Susan G. Komen Foundation also decided to stop funding embryonic stem cell research centers making it fully transparent the organization has evolved from non-political non-profit to a partisan advocacy organization.

That means the loss of $3.75 million to the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, $4.5 million to the University of Kansas Medical Center, $1 million to the U.S. National Cancer Institute, $1 million to the Society for Women’s Health Research, and $600,000 to Yale University. That’s a loss of nearly $12 million dollars in research money to eradicate breast cancer this year alone."
Susan G. Komen Foundation Also Stops Funding Embryonic Stem Cell Research

[NYadgal]

Posted: 2/3/12 at 11:09am

This is so painful.

[wexy]

Posted: 2/3/12 at 11:28am

What is painful to many people is how we were duped by a fraudulent organization.
This may a great thing that happened as the outrage you see in social media and the press has woken up everyone to the menace of the right loons...
There are other organizations to support.
I have six friends fighting breast cancer and many of my claimants are as well.. they deserve better
And I'm sending them back my KoMEN for the Cure tee shirt. I wouldn't be caught wearing it anymore...

[bdwaygirl]

Posted: 2/3/12 at 11:28am

Just got this alert from 7online.com:

FROM EYEWITNESS NEWS Friday, February 3, 2012
Susan G. Koman for the Cure reverses decision to end grants to Planned Parenthood. For more on this breaking story, tune in to Eyewitness News at Noon.

Updated On: 2/3/12 at 11:28 AM

[DayDreamer]

Posted: 2/3/12 at 11:33am

The public outcry worked. Now to see how long it will take them to rebuild their brand.

I wish people were as aware of, and had as much of a connection to, stem cell research. Sadly, I don't think it will create the same loud outcry.

[NYadgal]

Posted: 2/3/12 at 11:33am

Wexy, it breaks my heart to see this organization become what it has become.

I don't believe it was always this way.
I do believe it has done tremendous good over the years.

It pains me to see this happen.

[DayDreamer]

Posted: 2/3/12 at 11:36am

Addy - it is sad. The reality, however, is that it has been infiltrated by the people with a political agenda rather than those wanting to continue on the original path. Until the board is completely overhauled, their credibility is null.

[wexy]

Posted: 2/3/12 at 11:43am

Breaking news...They just reversed their decision about funding, now I have to go back to Facebook to see all the right wing people repost....

[Eris0303]

Posted: 2/3/12 at 11:49am

Some ladies I went to high school with do the Philadelphia walk every year. In order to raise money they have a giant yard sale and people donate goods to them. I had been saving some stuff for them but when the news broke I decided I was going to give it all to Vietnam Veterans. Even after this reversal I don't plan on giving anything this year.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 2/3/12 at 12:20pm

Here is their statement, and in this world of non-apologetic apologies, this is a good one.

===

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.

[madbrian]

Posted: 2/3/12 at 12:26pm

Coupling this with their decision to defund stem cell research, I won't trust them with my donations. Looks like Planned Parenthood will be the big winner here; restored funds from Komen plus more direct donations.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 2/3/12 at 12:27pm

I think it's important to support the organization during a time when it is going to be a lot of soul searching.

These are difficult times we live in, and Komen is going to receive a lot of painful criticism from anti-choice side. Maybe they were naive, maybe they were responding to political pressure before, but what they have just done is very brave.

Addy--I will be happy to support you fully in any fundraising you do for them.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 2/3/12 at 12:29pm

I'd like to see them admit the "we never give to agencies 'under investigation'" dodge is a) bad policy and b) a lie.
$7.5 Million to Penn State

[AC126748]

Posted: 2/3/12 at 12:36pm

Agreed, Joe.

I won't support them in the future. If you feel comfortable supporting them, then that's your right, and I won't begrudge it.

[madbrian]

Posted: 2/3/12 at 12:38pm

Perhaps I'm being too harsh. Better to say that I will scrutinize my donations in the future. I'll be cynical enough to doubt them now, but I'll try to keep an open mind, and if their actions live up to my expectations, I'll donate once again.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 2/3/12 at 12:46pm

The great Barbara Ehrenreich published this lengthy and incredibly engrossing essay about the abomination of breast cancer over 10 years ago in Harper's. I found it helpful to revisit it last night, in the midst of all the noise of the fiasco of the last week.
Welcome to Cancerland

[ErikJ972]

Posted: 2/3/12 at 12:49pm

I won't give them another dime unless they reverse their decision on stem cell research too. And fire their homophobic, anti-woman VP.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 2/3/12 at 12:59pm

Personally, I like the smoking one I posted earlier better.


Susan G. Komen Foundation Kicks Off P.R. Rehab by Promoting Pink Handguns

[Unknown User]

Posted: 2/3/12 at 1:22pm

They DEFINITELY need to hire new PR people.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 2/3/12 at 1:29pm

Phyllis, I honestly thought that was a Photoshop joke you had made yourself, with the smoking gun being about the Komen insider who said they created the investigation policy specifically to target Planned Parenthood. I had no idea. I mean, I'm practically speechless.

It's as weird as their partnering with corporations who make products containing known carcinogens.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 2/3/12 at 1:34pm

Oh, you were right. The one I posted the other day was a regular smoking gun I turned pink. This is just a very strange (and inexplicable!) coincidence.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 2/3/12 at 1:40pm

I just, ay yi yi.

That and the revisiting of the Ehrenreich article just makes me more fired up for a return of the Women's Health Model, which reacted AGAINST the patriarchal compliance medical model that keeps people from speaking out against things like, say, government forced pregnancies and guns against cancer. Without that women's health model, there wouldn't have BEEN any template upon which Komen could build its empire.

[YouWantitWhen????]

Posted: 2/3/12 at 2:10pm

I think my money would be better spent on an organization that uses the vast amount of its donations towards actual research/testing/screening. Less than 50% of the proceeds the Komen foundation receives goes to actual research, screening and treatment.

Over 1/3 of its funds go to self-promotion/Education.







Komen By The Numbers

[SonofRobbieJ]

Posted: 2/3/12 at 2:27pm

So...let me get this straight. At the same time, the Komen foundation was refusing funding to an organization that provides controversial, but constitutionally protected medical procedures while partnering to SELL a controversial, but constitutionally protected weapon of desctruction.

Can someone point me towards the Mad Hatter's tea party?