Can you believe this just happened?
By Susan Jones February 1, 2012
Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards (AP photo/Ron Edmonds).
(CNSNews.com) - Pro-life groups are commending the "brave decision" of the Susan G. Komen Foundation to cut off funding for Planned Parenthood.
Americans United for Life (AUL) said Komen backed away from Planned Parenthood after the release of AUL's expose, which triggered a congressional investigation into Planned Parenthood.
The Komen Foundation, as a matter of policy, said it does not partner with organizations that are under investigation by local, state, or federal authorities, and that was the reason the breast cancer charity gave for ending its financial support of Planned Parenthood.
To read the rest of the story, CLICK HERE.
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Shortly after the above story was released, I received this letter from Moveon.org:
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February 1, 2012
Dear MoveOn member,
Susan G. Komen for the Cure just cut all its funding to Planned Parenthood for breast health screenings, bowing to anti-choice pressure and making breast health care suddenly inaccessible to many women.1
Planned Parenthood health centers are often the main source of health care for women in underserved communities, and they provide 830,000 breast exams every year.2 170,000 of these were funded through Komen, along with 6,400 mammogram referrals.3 Without Komen's funding, many of these women could be unable to get the screenings and early detection of breast cancer that save lives.
It's incredibly disappointing for an organization founded to protect women's health to play politics with real women's lives.
Tell Susan G. Komen for the Cure, "Don't bow to anti-choice pressur...
Komen has raised tons of money and awareness about breast cancer from people who care about women's health. They need to know that they've gone too far by joining the right-wing war on Planned Parenthood—which, let's be honest, is really a war on women. That's why we're partnering with the new organization UltraViolet to get Komen to reverse this decision.
Komen says this isn't about choice, but it recently changed its funding guidelines to exclude any organization under investigation by Congress, knowing that a baseless investigation into Planned Parenthood had been opened by Republican Representative Cliff Stearns at the request of anti-choice groups.4
And Komen has strong links to the anti-choice movement. Its new vice president of public policy, Karen Handel, ran for governor of Georgia in 2010 on an aggressively anti-choice platform, part of which was a pledge to defund Planned Parenthood.5
Komen needs to hear that we won't stand for this kind of political posturing when real lives are at stake.
Tell them to reestablish funding for Planned Parenthood now.
Thanks for all you do.
–Elena, Steven, Adam Q., Laura, and the rest of the team
Sources:
1. "Amid abortion debate, Komen cancer charity halting grants to Planned Parenthood," The Washington Post, January 31, 2012
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=269935&id=35312-19437504-BK2uebx&t=4
2. "Protect Women's Health, Protect Planned Parenthood," Planned Parenthood Federation of America, April 12, 2011
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=269936&id=35312-19437504-BK2uebx&t=5
3."Komen breast cancer charity severs ties with Planned Parenthood," The Los Angeles Times, February 1, 2012
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=269955&id=35312-19437504-BK2uebx&t=6
4. "Planned Parenthood Investigation Is An Abuse Of Government Resources, Democrats Charge," Huffington Post, November 27, 2011
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=269937&id=35312-19437504-BK2uebx&t=7
5. "Komen Cuts Planned Parenthood Grants Months After Arrival Of New VP, Who Is Abortion Foe," Huffington Post, January 31, 2012
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=269938&id=35312-19437504-BK2uebx&t=8
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Moveon.org's plan worked! Look at these headlines:
Susan G. Komen foundation revises policy that barred Planned Parent...
Caught in a maelstrom of public reaction to its decision to cease funding Planned Parenthood, the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation announced Friday that it would reverse course.
Komen will no longer bar organizations that are under government investigation from applying for grants. As a result, Planned Parenthood — which is the focus of a House probe over whether it has used federal funds to pay for abortions — will once more be eligible for Komen grants.
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Well, if they changed their mind once, maybe they will change it again. Let's start our own calling and letter campaigns! Don't let more innocent lives be destroyed because we didn't care enough to call or write a letter. Let's put the heat back on!
