Book of the Month

Black Ribbon Campaign against Susan G. Komen Foundation

by erica20 2/2/2012 - 2:45 pm

Well, I did it--I updated my Facebook status with the following: 

BLACK RIBBON CAMPAIGN AGAINST SUSAN G. KOMEN FOUNDATION

Please update your status and/or wear a black ribbon if you agree.

Dear Komen Foundation,

Breast cancer doesn't care about a woman's religious or political beliefs, and neither should you. Pulling breast cancer screening from Planned Parenthood under the cover of "new guidelines" sends a message that it doesn't matter to you if SOME women get breast cancer or not.

This is not what my friends and I had in mind when we ran in your races, donated to your organization and bought all that overpriced pink merchandise. We did it because we thought the fight against breast cancer was for ALL women; too bad you don't agree.

We're going to be wearing BLACK ribbons until you fire whoever came up with this idea and reinstate funding for Planned Parenthood's breast cancer screening! Consider the black ribbon a symbol of the black eye you just gave to the fight against breast cancer by turning the pink ribbon into a political football. There's a place for politics in this world; this is not it.

Signed,

Women who believe that a cure for breast cancer is for everybody.

I tried to do something that people could use even if they're anti-abortion. We'll see where it goes. Please help by updating your own FB status if you can. (I probably should have signed it "Women (and men!) who believe that a cure for breast cancer is for everybody." Oh well, it's out there now.

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I, for one, am happy you did this.

Planned Parenthood has provided so many services to Americans for 70 years and 90 if you add in Sanger's contribution.

Spread the word!

by Richard Day 2/2/2012 - 4:17 pm

Thanks DD!

That Margaret Sanger was quite a woman.

by Erica (not verified) 2/2/2012 - 4:21 pm (re: Richard Day)

Excellent.  Very well said and seems to me you hit all the right notes and points needed.

So appreciate all your efforts and hard work.  

Please keep us updated on responses, etc.

by Aunt Sam 2/2/2012 - 4:54 pm

I have it on my status and I'm ready to save it, but I would much rather link it to your page so you can see how many actually do it.  If you don't want to broadcast your FB page, that's okay, but wouldn't it be better emanating from a single source?

by Ramona 2/2/2012 - 6:09 pm

I made a Facebook page for it (very complicated for my not-technical brain!)

If you go on FB and search "Black Ribbon" it should come up.

 

Thanks Ramona!

by erica20 2/2/2012 - 7:06 pm (re: Ramona)

Erica, is this the page?

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Black-ribbon/114533461891510?ref=ts

I don't see your letter there.  I can't find a way to add it to my status and give your page a link back.  What am I missing?

by Ramona 2/2/2012 - 8:55 pm (re: erica20)

That's the page. I think you can cut/paste the letter into your personal status (on your page.)

You can also like the page, and then I think your friends will be able to see that you liked it.

I did it as a "Community," I think maybe I should have chosen "group."

I also noticed there is a "Black Ribbon" interest group--I think if using the FB search you might have to put in "Black Ribbon Campaign" to get to it. (I thought this would be so easy!)

Anyhoo, maybe a few people will show up wearing black ribbons tomorrow morning and the issue will get a little more play! Although it seems to be all over the news anyway!)

Thanks Ramona!

by erica20 2/2/2012 - 9:55 pm (re: Ramona)

I hope your actions take root and cause many to see the light. 

All Americans should be disgusted by this sickness..... politically motivated  pandering/high-jacking 

by Resistance 2/2/2012 - 10:10 pm (re: erica20)

All of you are talking as if Planned Parenthood is the only healthcare provider who provides breast cancer screening. If Planned Parenthood is committed to breast cancer they should provide mammograms in all or most of their facilities. 

Instead of creating all this hatred don't support Susan G. Komen and give your support to Planned Parenthood and drop the hate.

by Moley Wayne (not verified) 2/3/2012 - 1:30 am

I think people are expressing shock and disappointment. They are blowing off steam, a normal human reaction given the appearance of politics.Many have already decided to send funds directly to Planned Parenthood. The other point is that PP was using funds from Komen to provide mammograms free of charge.

Komen donors have a right to complain

 

by rmrd0000 2/3/2012 - 1:49 am (re: Moley Wayne)

I know PP isn't the only group that does cancer screening. In fact, I'm pretty sure they don't even do mammograms. But women go there for their overall health care, and funding from Komen does contribute to that, and it did get cut off for political reasons.

I do think Komen really stepped into the poo here. Lots of people in future will be doing what you suggest, saving themselves the potential frustration and giving directly to PP or whatever other breast cancer charity they support...

by erica20 2/3/2012 - 2:06 pm (re: Moley Wayne)

Some Planned Parenthood clinics perform mammograms, but many don't. Those that don't perform mammograms provide referrals instead.

by Verified Atheist 2/3/2012 - 2:26 pm (re: erica20)

Thanks VA!

by erica20 2/3/2012 - 2:56 pm (re: Verified Atheist)
Komen stopped $12 million dollars in funding to stem cell research last November. These grants went to Yale, John Hopkins Medical School, University of Kansas Medical Center and US Cancer Research Center for breast cancer stem cell research. I guess this is part of their "new mission metrics for excellence " turn to the right. I got a chance to see a clip of Andrea Mitchell's interview with Nancy Brinker. I don't think her word salad helped with damage control. She really seemed disconnected. I saw some numbers too. The foundation brought in $400 million with $360 million in expenses leaving $40 million for charity in their last income reporting cycle. That is a lot of overhead.
by trkingmomoe 2/3/2012 - 6:51 am

That is indeed a lot of overhead. Wikipedia says Brinker, Komen founder and now CEO, pulls in more than half a million dollars a year. For years, I have taken part in the CIBC "pink ribbon" Run for the Cure, Canadian counterpart to the Komen breast-cancer runs. I would hate to think that as little as 10% of what it collects for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation goes to actual testing and research. Maybe I need to do a little research myself.

by acanuck 2/3/2012 - 6:03 pm (re: trkingmomoe)
Non profits in the US can keep up to 85% of what they raise for expenses depending on their 501 class. Some of these charities can be a real ego trip for the managers and reward themselves with extravagant parties for fundraiser.
by trkingmomoe 2/4/2012 - 1:06 am (re: acanuck)

ONE HELL OF A CONCLUSION!

You won.

You and Mac and ten thousand? won the day.

They gave up and PP won at least another 2/3 of a million bucks from contributors who were pissed including shorty from NYC!

I am not sure why, but I am elated by these events. ha

Planned Parenthood with roots going back almost a century as I stated before, is coming out of all of this very well.

by Richard Day 2/3/2012 - 9:31 pm

It does feel like people everywhere just went "Um, no, not this time" about this particular situation. Which is good.

by erica20 2/6/2012 - 12:23 am (re: Richard Day)

Media reports are coming out now stating that 'the reversal' isn't all it seems.  Under News I posted a report and now TPM has posted an article which includes:

Despite this backtrack, one part of the statement still provides some uncertainty about the future relationship between Komen and Planned Parenthood. Though Komen said it won’t cut current grants to Planned Parenthood and will still preserve Planned Parenthood’s eligibility to apply for future grants, the statement does not say it will necessarily grant them.

“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 said.

And Komen board member John Raffaelli indicated to Greg Sargent of the Washington Post that nothing is certain about the future relationship.

They were always going to honor grants already in place.  PP has pending grant applications with PP, which some report sources within SGK are concerned no one is addressing these and are concerned.

by Aunt Sam 2/3/2012 - 10:06 pm
What needs to be said here is Koman foundation doesn't know if they will be able to raise the same amount of money as in the past. Corporations that make products that consumers buy are sensitive to brewhahas like this one. Lists of corporate partners of Koman was published all over the net. I am sure those companies were hammered with complaints. One of the major complaints that was made before this firestorm, was the extravagant galas and spending they did.
by trkingmomoe 2/4/2012 - 12:51 am (re: Aunt Sam)

In a stroke of good timing, Canada's National Film Board has just released a documentary on the corporatization of breast-cancer fundraising:

http://thechronicleherald.ca/artslife/58513-pink-ribbons-inc-asks-who-benefits-cause

Some money does trickle down to actual research, but less than you'd think -- and less than should.

by acanuck 2/5/2012 - 12:57 am

Additional info on the documentary I just mentioned:

http://www.nfb.ca/playlist/pink_ribbons_inc/

It's based on the book Pink Ribbons, Inc. by Samantha King, which might be easier to track down than the film itself. 

by acanuck 2/5/2012 - 1:42 am (re: acanuck)
Penn State College of Medicine developed a cure & wrote about in medical journals last August. Since then I've been blogging about it telling the public to donate directly to the researchers and quit sending it to these organizations who have been extorting money for decades with the promise of a 'cure.' Quit wasting your money'pink-washing'...spending the money on pink crap, & on massive ad campaigns telling us to "Be Aware!" All you're doing when you send your hard-earned money to non-profit breast cancer organizations is perpetuating their foundations and perpetuating breast cancer.
by Janet Werner (not verified) 2/8/2012 - 12:01 am

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