Pink Is The New Disaster

This week, The Susan G Komen for the Cure Organization made an unfortunate decision to sever ties with Planned Parenthood, a move that already is having some backlash. 

Being a private nonprofit, Susan G Komen has every right to decide how it will spend its money, and to which organizations it will fund. Until now, it has given Planned Parenthood more than $500,000 a year.  So why the sudden change of heart?

Susan G Komen has been feeling mounting pressure the last few years from antiabortion groups to end all ties with Planned Parenthood. The organization denies their decision is politically motivated, but rather a brand new policy that requires them not to fund organizations that are being investigated by the government. Planned Parenthood, which has long provided low-cost medical care to women in need, has been under a barrage of unsuccessful congressional attacks aimed at cutting off their federal funding.  These investigations are a politically motivated move launched by an antiabortion Republican congressman, Rep. Cliff Stearns.

It is tragic if any woman - let alone thousands of women - lost access to these potentially lifesaving screenings because of a politically motivated attack. Politics have no place in health care. We should be helping women access this care, not placing barriers in their way. Shame on Susan G Komen! The organization has earned so much public backing and goodwill that it should not simply cut financial support to another nonprofit without permitting reasonable due process to run its course. Call on the foundation to reverse their decision and not let politics interfere with protecting women’s health! Let them know if they can't support all women equally, we will support charities that do.