We will find out in ensuing months the bones underneath this decision and what really happened; how reliable a non-profit can be to reverse itself twice in a few days. We’ll follow along for now, but it may have had something to do with Komen’s corporate sponsors. I’ve rec’d several emails yesterday and today asking that all write to Komen’s food and entertainment sponsors to protest Komen’s decision against the poor regarding breast cancer and screening…
If that’s the real reason this sudden reversal came about, (potential loss of sponsors) the sudden reversal by Komen wouldnt be an honest and dependable representation any more than the bungled previous attempt to be opaque about the real reasons PP was defunded to begin with. There is much more scoop to what’s going on inside Komen than they are saying, which only adds to reasoned minds wondering what’s to hide there, and in this decision to defund and then “allow PP to apply” again
…whose ox got gored that such a stentorian announcement about defunding became a whimper to allow PP back into the ‘good graces’ of Komen again. As the oldtimers say, there’s something fishy about this. But, it will all come out soon, I think. There are investigative reporters at work on it as we speak.
The operative words in Komen’s newest statement reversing themselves, are that Komen “will allow” Planned Parenthood “to apply” to them for grants. (while funding the existing grant for now). But Brinker’s statement says nothing whatsoever about commitment to help fund these programs within PP. There is no funding future in this sense. Only “permission” to apply. Big difference. The application by PP could be turned down in a heartbeat. I’d say to keep one’s eye on those words, for they surely can be weasel words, and many will be keeping an eye on Komen to see exactly how they fund PP, or not, past this funding period.
and also keep an eye on what Shaun Mullen brought up in his post below, about Komen defunding to the tune of many millions of dollars also, medical research at several big research centers, regarding cell research. That defunding still, for now, stands as a done deal in Komen’s eyes. A huge blow to the research centers, and smells again of politics in that defunding also, as there is a long history, save Nancy Reagan, of utter resistance to cell research on the part of the GOP now dominated by the far right religious groups.
Brinker has far far more acumen to know how Komen’s words defunding PP would affect much of the populace. There’s far more going on behind the scenes at Komen than is being said, I think, for Brinker was an ambassador and also the equivilent of ‘hostess’ for visiting dignitaries for a sitting president. To say that they are ‘distressed’ that anyone would imagine anything negative about Komen’s motives, seems entirely either disingenuous or being asleep at the wheel big time. Being an ambassador and ‘hostess’ to dignitaries from across the world, means having to know, in order to fit the job description the utmost in tact, diplomacy, decency, propriety, always watching to see who is going to like and and who is going to rail against any potential pronouncement, and a priori… and utter discretion being the greater part of valour.
Thereby Brinker’s wording in her “retraction” is doubly incomprehensible. Brinker is supposed to be the master at handling ‘people matters.’ Yet, she said as though this was just a little trip up: “We want to apologize to the American public for recent decisions that cast doubt upon our commitment to our mission of saving women’s lives,” president and founder Nancy Brinker said in a statement today. “We have been distressed at the presumption that the changes made to our funding criteria were done for political reasons or to specifically penalize Planned Parenthood. They were not.”
Rather than her statement being about the suffering and anguish caused to poor women who heard of this defunding, and rather than speaking about PP wondering what they would now do to make it up $$-wise( and they seem to have, but only temporarily) and rather than speaking to people who were caused to suffer over this whole matter, it’s about Komen and Brinker being ‘misunderstood.’ My questions remain, whose ox got gored to bring this reversal around… whose heads rolled and why? And especially, how did this public non-profit, HOW did this truly happen that they put so many through so much and now say ooops.
Here is an excerpt from the WaPo article:
By Sarah Kliff, Friday, February 3, 9:41 AM
The Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure Foundation Friday announced it would revise a controversial new policy that barred the organization from funding Planned Parenthood.
The foundation said that Planned Parenthood would now be eligible to apply for grants. It did not, however, address other reasons Komen has cited for why it might choose not to approve such grants.
“Our original desire was to fulfill our fiduciary duty to our donors by not funding grant applications made by organizations under investigation,” a Friday statement said. “ We will amend the criteria to make clear that disqualifying investigations must be criminal and conclusive in nature and not political. That is what is right and fair.”
“We will continue to fund existing grants, including those of Planned Parenthood, and preserve their eligibility to apply for future grants, while maintaining the ability of our affiliates to make funding decisions that meet the needs of their communities,” the statement continues.
The statement left some ambiguity, however, because it did not mention a second reason Komen has given for ending Planned Parenthood’s funding: That the group did not provide direct mammogram services, but instead referred patients out to other locations.
On Thursday, Komen President Elizabeth Thompson told reporters that the funding decision was unrelated to the Congressional investigation into whether Planned Parenthood was illegally using federal funds to pay for abortions.
Komen founder Nancy Brinker said the organization wants to support groups that directly provide breast health services, such as mammograms. She noted that Planned Parenthood was providing only mammogram referrals.
Planned Parenthood celebrated the news as a victory.
“We are enormously grateful that the Komen Foundation has clarified its grantmaking criteria, and we look forward to continuing our partnership with Komen partners, leaders and volunteers,” said Planne d Parenthood president Cecile Richards in a statement. “What these past few days have demonstrated is the deep resolve all Americans share in the fight against cancer, and we honor those who are at the helm of this battle.”