Planned Parenthood, Susan G. Komen, and Brick Walls

Earlier this week, in a despicable display of caving under the pressure of religious zealotry, the Susan G. Komen Foundation announced that it would no longer give funds to Planned Parenthood that the progressive public health organization used for breast cancer screenings for low-income women.

Now, here I sat, thinking that I was going to have to spend my Friday evening writing a raucous and angry post about how appalling it is that the religious right has so little to do with their time that they will sit around thinking up ways to creatively undermine the organizations in our society that actually care about taking care of people. AND THAT IT WORKS…

But, lo and behold, the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure Foundation decided that it would reverse its decision and reinstate the $680,000 grant for Planned Parenthood.  This came in response to a massive outcry from the public who, in a display of impressive solidarity with the important mission of the organization, signed petitions and pledged donations that flew in the face of Komen’s decision and ultimately surpassed the amount of money that the Komen foundation grants to Planned Parenthood per year substantially. 

I suppose that can be considered a silver-lining… indeed, Planned Parenthood raised $3 million as part of the reaction.

But, wait… I’m still feeling unsettled, so my raucous Friday evening post is going to take a slightly different turn.

What is it about our country’s political mood right now that allows for this level of intense polarization, to the point that some are willing to sacrifice the health of women through the early detection and treatment of breast cancer (one of the leading causes of death in women)?

Ok, ok, while I don’t agree with it, I accept that there are people who take issue with the controversial topic of abortion.  But what are we coming to when an organization like the Susan G. Komen Foundation, specifically charged with the “race to the cure [of breast cancer]”, feels it necessary to take money away from one of our nation’s leading champions in the prevention of breast cancer, in response to these loud anti-choice bigwigs?

Honestly, someone tell me, how are the two issues connected?  Certainly not in their funding sources through Planned Parenthood, as the organization has made it abundantly clear that the Susan G. Komen funds were used specifically for breast cancer screening services.  Certainly not in their level of controversy, I think we’d be hard pressed to come upon an individual or an organization that is anti-curing breast cancer.  Certainly not… at all related, except that they are both services provided by Planned Parenthood.

So the deal, it seems, according to the extreme conservative viewpoint, is that because Planned Parenthood provides one service that they are not keen on (abortion services, which only accounts for approximately 3% of Planned Parenthood services), we should shut them down completely, without regard for the many, many other essential services that Planned Parenthood provides for people every day throughout our country… The reality is that conservative-minded people are afflicted by breast cancer at the same astronomical rates as liberal-minded people, and Planned Parenthood is always there for them without hesitation and without regard for political ideology.

I look forward to the day that our country will approach specific problems with the goal of bringing the most brilliant and highly qualified minds on the topic at hand (throughout the political spectrum) to one table to create the best possible solutions on behalf of the people they serve.  We need to move away from these stringent and unrelenting brick walls that exist between our political factions so that we can discuss issues with some semblance of sanity.  As we stand now, even an issue as crucial, sensitive, and politically neutral as breast cancer, the cancer that 1 in 8, yes, 12% of women will be diagnosed with in their lifetimes, can be thrown under the bus of our staunch and irrational separation.  How truly sad.

Special shout out to Mollie Williams, a top Komen official who resigned out of protest as soon as the decision to cut ties with Planned Parenthood was made, stating that she did not feel that this decision aligned with Komen’s mission of preventing breast cancer for all women.