Call me crazy, but a group like Susan G. Komen for the Cure, which brands itself as being an advocate for women and womens' health (although it too has had its share of beat-downs), has no business hiring an anti-choice higher-up in its organization. And that higher-up, Karen Handel, among others, has managed to bring the wrath of women nationwide down on the organization's head.
Slick move, Handel.
What could Komen be thinking? Handel ran for governor in Georgia in 2010, and as part of her platform said, "since I am pro-life, I do not support the mission of Planned Parenthood." She was endorsed by Sarah Palin, for Pete's sake. Who at Komen thought it would be a good idea to hire this wolf in sheep's clothing? Who at Komen thought that Planned Parenthood would survive this anti-choice zealot's chopping block? Komen maintains that it cut funding for Planned Parenthood because it's "under congressional investigation." That's about as legitimate a reason as suspending President Obama from being president because he's "under investigation" by Orly Taitz (although, if they could get away with it, the teabagging House Republicans would do just that).
This investigation - mmm, right. A right-wing anti-choice zealot, Republican Rep. Cliff Stearns, decided that Planned Parenthood was using federal funding to fund abortions and was lax in reporting abuse of young women (not a novel approach by anti-choice right-wingers, I might add); Planned Parenthood, however, maintains a strict division of funding between its 97% preventive and treatment services and it's little, itty bitty 3% of abortion services, and has a history of reporting any incidences of abuse. In sum, Planned Parenthood has denied all claims. But this has absolutely nothing to do with congressional investigations and absolutely everything to do with the Republican and right-wingers' war on womens' rights to choose - and Komen hooked right in.
But this should be no surprise, actually - the surprise is more, what took Komen so long? As reported by Mother Jones, The Komen Board boasts Jane Abraham, the General Chairman of Susan B. Anthony List (famous for its disdain of science and rabid anti-choice sentiments) and one of the directors of the Nurturing Network, "a global network of crisis pregnancy centers known for spreading ideology, misinformation and lies to women." (Would it surprise anyone to learn that Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia's wife, Maureen, is also on the Board of this Nurturing Network?)
Komen's pink ribbon emblem is fast turning into a black "X" . . . but it appears that its loss is Planned Parenthood's gain. Within the past 24 hours, a wealthy Texas couple pledged a quarter of a million dollars to Planned Parenthood upon hearing that Komen pulled its financial support, Democratic Congresswomen Barbara Boxer and Jackie Speier pulled their support from Komen, and overall Planned Parenthood has raised over $400,000 since the news of Komen's defunding grabbed headlines.
Women - and the men who stand with them - are apparently putting their money where their mouths are. We need our own mandate: No more little hikes for Komen unless and until it reinstates Planned Parenthood's funding, no pink ribbons to help its brand, no more assistance in propping Komen up as a "pro-woman" entity. In the meantime, we will sneer at Komen's limp response that its decision isn't political, we'll tear pink ribbons off our garments and tote bags, and we'll give Planned Parenthood our grassroots support across the board.
It's never too late for the right-wingers and anti-choice zealots and the rabidly religious to figure out that women have power and women have money and we don't choose to use either one to support those who don't support us.
You can donate to Planned Parenthood here.
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