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Rights of Passage

The Susan G. Komen Foundation Defunds Planned Parenthood: Science Fiction Comes to the Rescue

by Susana Polo | 2:47 pm, February 2nd, 2012


The Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation, the largest breast cancer research, treatment, and awareness organization in the United States, shocked a lot of people earlier this week when it announced it would no longer be making its usual grants to Planned Parenthood, eliminating more than half a million dollars of funding that would have allowed PP to offer breast cancer exams and education to women without the income to otherwise receive them.

Luckily enough, John Scalzi, author of Old Man’s War and president of Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, is trying to help Planned Parenthood out, and urging others to do the same.

Komen’s decision looks an awful lot like it was motivated by wanting to distance itself from an abortion provider, even if safe, legal abortions make up only 3% of Planned Parenthood’s actual performed services, the rest of which are providing much needed low cost health care to women. Komen has gotten pushback from anti-abortion providers for funding over the years, and recently accepted pro-life, anti-Planned Parenthood crusader Karen Handel as its senior vice president for public policy. Komen maintains that it is simply complying with newly adopted criteria for its grants, which disqualify any organization under congressional investigation from receiving grants, but Planned Parenthood is the only receiver of Komen grants to be affected by the new rule.

Republican representative Cliff Stearns of Florida has just begun his own investigation of Planned Parenthood to see if public funds are illegally being used to for abortions, though he has voiced no timetable for his investigation, has made no charges of wrongdoing (saying that he would only consider holding hearings based on what he learns)… and Planned Parenthood is already audited regularly for the same reasons, in accordance with the Hyde Amendment of 1976, and has never been found to be in violation.

From the Washington Post:

“We’re kind of reeling,” said Patrick Hurd, who is CEO of Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Virginia — recipient of a 2010 grant from Komen — and whose wife, Betsi, is a veteran of several Komen fundraising races and is currently battling breast cancer.

“It sounds almost trite, going through this with Betsi, but cancer doesn’t care if you’re pro-choice, anti-choice, progressive, conservative,” Hurd said. “Victims of cancer could care less about people’s politics.”

Whether caused by Komen’s political crossfire, or congressional political crossfire, Planned Parenthood is short hundreds of thousands of dollars to provide for needy women. And John Scalzi wasn’t about to let that go without doing what he could. Said Scalzi:

I don’t think it’s right that poor women get caught in [political] crossfire. They don’t deserve to die just because they can’t afford to catch their cancer early…

So, between today and February 8, 2012, every time you buy a Subterranean Press eBook written by me here in the United States, the proceeds are going to Planned Parenthood. I will direct that the donation go specifically toward their breast cancer screening and educational activities, to help replace the funding lost from the Susan G. Komen Foundation.

According to Planned Parenthood, they’ve received more than $400,000 in donations since Komen’s announcement (UPDATE: Actually, $650,000 in 24 hours). As of this morning Scalzi says sales of his books, priced between $1 and $5, have raised almost $1,700 for Planned Parenthood, and that’s only a day into the drive from Kindle sales alone. If you’d like to pick up an ebook and the warm fuzzy feeling of helping spread awareness, both general and personal, of breast cancer risks, you can check out his post here.

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  • Samantha Press

    Also, John Scalzi will be DJing an 80′s-themed dance at CapriCon next week, if the above did not already cement his awesomeness: 
    http://whatever.scalzi.com/2012/01/11/im-djing-a-dance-at-capricon-xxxii-or-bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha-hah-ha/

  • Anonymous

    I lost all respect for Komen when I heard an NPR segment about how they’ve been suing other charities that use the phrase “for the cure.” Here’s a good article with a funny, informative Colbert video: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/04/colbert-komen-cure-cancer_n_804233.html

    The only way to accurately describe my anger is to simply say, “That is effed up!” And this news further fuels my disdain.

  • Anonymous

    Planned Parenthood is like the philanthropist who’s also a pedophile. Do you ignore his charitable contributions to society or do you ignore the evils he’s done to children? Because you can’t have both.

  • http://twitter.com/10000_buckets Flapjack Smith

    Planned Parenthood is like a company that does a bunch of different things, and is happy to accept donations that are earmarked for everything but abortion, or only abortions, or only to buy buckets of condoms to put by the front desk.

    Funding Planned Parenthood != funding abortion, unless you want it to.

  • http://twitter.com/IC_Jen Jen Graybeal

    Planned Parenthood provides safe, confidential care and information for anyone that seeks it – regardless of their ability to pay. They are an amazing organization. Their employees are some of the kindest people you will meet.

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/TXCAKWWYBVS6BURJ5RDAOUIM6E Giles

    My bûddy’s stêp-âûnt mâkês $36 êvêry hôûr ôn thê lâptôp. Shê hâs bêên ôût ôf wôrk fôr 8 mônths bût lâst mônth hêr incômê wâs $1867 jûst wôrking ôn thê lâptôp fôr â fêw hôûrs. Rêâd môrê ôn this sitê…. LazyCash10.c&#173om

  • Anonymous

    What evils? Providing safe abortions so that Mom doesn’t die, leaving her existing children orphaned? And yes, the majority of women who abort already have children they’re struggling to provide for. Getting rid of PP doesn’t mean women seeking abortions will all magically decide to carry to term. Look at El Salvador. Anyone who wants to limit the demand for abortion should increase support for struggling mothers, instead of going after the one organization that gives them affordable healthcare.

  • Dave Morris

    This would be great if planned parenthood “did” mammograms/breast exams:  Here’s PP reps denying it themselves.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aq0kBkUZbvQ&feature=player_embedded

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1370027711 Fredric L. Rice

    It is absolutely amazing that a massively beneficial charity organization that saves women’s lives every day was able to be infiltrated, subverted, and destroyed from within by right wing Christianic theofascist extremists who hate everything our country stands for.

    THIS is why Americans should register to vote so we can eliminate the theocracy-driven fascists from positions of power over our country, both in government and in the private sector.

    http://www.SkepticTank.Org/
     

  • Candyce Moore

    So… You’re comparing Planned Parenthood… To Penn State University? Are you saying you’re against them losing funding then?

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_AOFTU2AM7WRZZFDC6SPN4XF6KQ Null

    No, that’s the problem. Large portions of the country actually believe this stuff. And THEY vote.

  • http://twitter.com/Jenny_Hanniver Jenny Hanniver

    That is a red herring.  Of course they don’t do the mammograms on site; that requires expensive machinery and an on-staff radiologist.  They do, however, do breast exams, other types of cancer screening, and referrals.  Here on Planet Female, the vast majority of insurance plans won’t pay for a mammogram unless you have a referral.

    PP also used some of the SGK funds to pay for those mammograms for low-income women.

    Go spread your deliberate misinformation elsewhere.

  • Jen H

    Maybe instead of an age limit, an I.Q test should be required for  voting rights to be granted.

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