Many in the pro life community are celebrating the decision by the breast cancer charity, Susan G. Komen For the Cure, to break financial relations with Planned Parenthood. From the NYT story:
In a decision that is inflaming passions on both sides of the abortion debate, the world’s largest breast cancer organization, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, is cutting off its financing of breast cancer screening and education programs run by Planned Parenthood affiliates. The move will halt financing to 19 of Planned Parenthood’s 83 affiliates, which received nearly $700,000 from the Komen foundation last year and have been receiving similar grants since at least 2005.
PP is complaining about pressure from pro lifers, but Komen says otherwise:
A spokeswoman for the Komen foundation, Leslie Aun, told The Associated Press that the main factor in the decision was a new rule adopted by Komen that prohibits grants to organizations being investigated by local, state or federal authorities. Ms. Aun told The A.P. that Planned Parenthood was therefore disqualified from financing because of an inquiry being conducted by Representative Cliff Stearns, Republican of Florida, who is looking at how Planned Parenthood spends and reports its money.
Recently, it was learned that very few PP offices offered mammograms, an issue we discussed here.
Here’s my take: It was a mistake for Komen to fund PP in the first place, After all, why—as a general charity—offend about 40% of the population with an unnecessary affiliation with a (from pro-lifers’ view, notorious) abortion provider? It wouldn’t surprise me if the administrators finally figured out that being part of the sisterhood wasn’t as important as maximizing donations to increase the chance of helping to fund a cure.
And this is beyond the pale:
Leslie Durgin, senior vice president of public policy for Planned Parenthood’s Rocky Mountain affiliate, said the Komen decision would cost three of the organization’s health centers in Denver and one in Glenwood Springs about $165,000. Ms. Durgin said the money paid for hundreds of breast exams each year, as well as mammograms and other services... “Any kind of impediment for women, including a referral to go someplace else, will mean that women delay getting further screenings and women who may have cancer will discover it later than they might otherwise,” Ms. Durgin said. “A lot of our clients are just one hassle away from not getting services at all.”
Who is kidding whom? PP is rolling in dough. If they stop offering breast cancer screenings because of this funding loss, it will just prove that pro lifers have been right all along that the non abortion services PP offers is just so much window dressing to pretty up its real raison d’ etre.
