Susan G. Komen and Planned Parenthood: Pro-Life People Should be Warned

Life News ^ | 5/24/10 | Hannah Carter

[wagglebee]

LifeNews.com Note: Hannah Carter is the director of education for Georgia Right to Life, a statewide pro-life group. This opinion column originally appeared on the GRTL blog web site.

Like many families, my grandmother and great-grandmother both had breast cancer. The issue of wanting to fight what harms your family or friends is noble. So when I tell people that I do not support Susan G. Komen an organization that exists to “fight breast cancer”, I normally get the look of one: why would you abandon your family or two: oh there goes one of those extremist.

However, my reasons are not that extreme, but rather principled.

I'm sure many of you reading this article have also been confronted with the issue of if I ‘m pro-life then how can I support an organization that supports the nation’s leading abortion provider. Hopefully, the following principles can shed some light on how to respond sympathetically, yet firm with why you cannot wear pink, or join the race, or all the various ways that Susan G. Komen is supported.

Principle # 1 Don't give to organizations that promote the shedding of innocent blood.

If this were a list of commandments, we could start with Thou Shall Not Kill. However, Proverbs 6:17 states that one of the seven things God hates are hands that shed innocent blood.

Unfortunately, Susan G. Komen has given over $3 million dollars between 2003 and 2008 to Planned Parenthood which is the nation’s leading abortion provider.

While Susan G. Komen makes claims that these grants go for breast exams, once the funds go to Planned Parenthood they are fungible. For example, you can throw two twenty dollar bills into a purse one from a friend and one from your own account, but when you go to pay the light bill you use both.

The same is true with Planned Parenthood’s money it receives from Komen. Whenever someone applies for a grant they can say that while this $5,000 is going to breast cancer research, 20 percent of that money is going to pay for administrative costs like keeping the lights on and paying rent. So in essence, the money that people are raising to fight breast cancer is also going to keep the lights on at Planned Parenthood.

According to the 2008 Annual Report from Planned Parenthood, breast cancer services decreased by 4% and abortion procedures increased by 6%. In 2008, Susan G. Komen gave $731,000 to Planned Parenthood.

Principle # 2 Know and Recognize the Risk Factors for the Disease You are Trying to Prevent.

There are certain risks that can increase an individual’s chance of getting breast cancer. While Susan G. Komen says that they believe in knowing your risk factors, they have repeatedly denied the link between breast cancer and one of the greatest avoidable risk factors, abortion.

According to Dr. Angela Lanfranchi, “29 out of 38 worldwide epidemiological studies show an increased risk of breast cancer of approximately 30% among women who have had an abortion.”

When a woman has an abortion she interrupts the natural process of estrogen production and breast development. When a woman first becomes pregnant her body produces a Type 1 carcinogen, cancer causing agent, estrogen in order to nourish and provide for the baby. If the mother has her child, her body stops producing as much estrogen and her breasts mature. However, if that process is interrupted, the estrogen production continues and her breasts stay in an immature state, making them more susceptible to breast cancer.

Groups like Susan G. Komen acknowledge that the level of exposure to estrogen throughout a woman’s lifetime is one of the greatest predictors for breast cancer. Sadly, they do not acknowledge that the increased exposure to estrogen after an abortion could increase risks of breast cancer as well. For an organization whose primary goal is “to have a world without breast cancer”, you would think they would try to let women know of all the risk factors for breast cancer, especially those that are preventable like abortion.

Recently, in an article by Jill Stanek, pro-life author and blogger, asked a very thought-provoking question, “Is it really “morally permissible” to cause breast cancer in one room if screening for it in the next?”

Stanek also noted in her article that recently that the ties between Planned Parenthood and Susan G. Komen are running deeper and deeper. See an excerpt below from Stanek’s article:

Three days ago a diligent pro-lifer in Washington state discovered on Planned Parenthood of the Great Northwest’s IRS 990 forms that it has held a 12.5 percent share in Metro Centre, a mall in Peoria, Ill., since 2006. PPGNW is Washington’s largest abortion provider. (It is also currently under investigation for Medicaid fraud.) Metro Centre is owned by Eric Brinker. Eric Brinker is the son of Nancy Goodman Brinker, the founder of SGK.

Eric also sits on SGK’s board. Eric was a stand-up guy and responded to most of my initial questions. He explained in an e-mail, “This share represents a minority, non-operating interest in the business which they inherited from one of the original shareholders, a resident of Peoria. I, Eric Brinker, have controlling interest in Metro Centre.” But when I pursued follow-up questions, Eric wrote he was no longer available. So there is much still unanswered. Why didn't PPGNW cash in its inheritance? Why didn't Eric buy? If the share was willed, it was worth something. The real-estate market was thriving in 2006. It appears both partners are OK with this now four-year-old business partnership.

In essence, Planned Parenthood and Susan G. Komen’s nephew own a mall together.

The bottom line is that Susan G. Komen is not accomplishing its mission every time it gives to Planned Parenthood.

Every time a woman has an abortion and part of the money to fund that center staying open came from Komen, they are putting women at a greater risk for breast cancer.

Every organization no matter how noble the cause they claim to represent seems to be needs to be held accountable.

The question is will you?

To continue your search for the ties between Susan G. Komen and Planned Parenthood, please visit:

Susan G. Komen for the Cure Awards 72 Grants to Planned Parenthood

Komen Giving to Planned Parenthood Abortion Biz Down as Donations Drop

Planned Parenthood Deepens Link to Breast Cancer Group

Susan G. Komen’s List of Grants to Planned Parenthood

Studies about the Link between Abortion and Breast Cancer

Report: Susan G. Komen and Planned Parenthood: A Visible Link

[wagglebee]

Whatever. You don’t have any proof to refute their published statements but yet require them to prove a negative.

I'm not even attempting to refute Komen's published statements.

Komen gives money to Planned Parenthood, nobody disputes that.

Komen stipulates that the money must go for breast cancer prevention, nobody disputes that.

However, since NOBODY - not the Komen Foundation, not Planned Parenthood and not you - has suggested that Planned Parenthood has a breast cancer prevention business which is TOTALLY AND COMPLETELY SEPARATE (i.e. funds are not commingled in any way, is housed in completely separate facilities, has its own dedicated staff, etc.), then it is IMPOSSIBLE to say that none of the money goes toward Planned Parenthood's other practices.

This IS NOT requiring anyone to prove a negative, this is asking them to say that the breast cancer practice is TOTALLY AND COMPLETELY SEPARATE from all of Planned Parenthood's other practices and neither Komen nor Planned Parenthood has ever even suggest this is the case.

[wagglebee]

Funny how you demand a degree of purity in absolutes that you violate with your innuendo.

Funny how most people don't consider not giving money to murderers all that demanding?

I'm curious, why are you so eager to defend an institution that condones murder?

[MayflowerMadam]

If you can verify everything about a charity, a good rule of thumb is to restrict all charitable giving through your local church. You know where it’s going — and where it’s NOT going. In our last church, when a member had health issues such as cancer we’d take special offerings and the money went directly to them for their care, comfort, and medical bills. True; it’s not R&D, but researchers are going to do that, anyhow. As far as we know, Marie Curie, Jonas Salk, etc., didn’t have colored ribbons or “Walk For Polio (etc.)” events. They had passion and dedication and got the job done.

[wagglebee]

I fully understand that when I give money, whether it’s to my church or to a charity, that a portion of that money is going to pay for overhead and I don’t have a problem with that. What I do have a problem with is when that money is then sent to an unrelated charity.

It makes sense for the Komen Foundation to give some money for breast cancer screening to free medical clinics; however, I fail to see how Planned Parenthood fits into this category. Mammograms are not recommended for women under the age of 40, simple logic will tell you that nearly all of the women and girls who go to Planned Parenthood are under 40.

The ONLY link I can see between breast cancer and Planned Parenthood is the FACT that both birth control pills and abortion increase breast cancer risks.

[2nd amendment mama]

You are defending Komen so vigorously.....what’s your connection to them? Are you employed by them?

[trisham]

Are you pro-abortion?

[trisham]

Good question.

[wagglebee]

I completely understand why people want to assume the best of the Komen Foundation. It’s like the Red Cross or Salvation Army, we WANT to believe that they are purely altruistic. I don’t know anybody who has not been affected by breast cancer, but the desire to eradicate breast cancer is no reason to give the Komens a pass on everything else.

[trisham]

I could not agree more!

[metmom]

Another thread, another deathbot flushed out.....

[Eagle Eye]

Even if the Komen money goes soley for breast exams, that frees up other money for them to promote and provide abortion services, therefore indirectly it does fund abortion.

What money does it free up? The money that PP doesn't spend on breast cancer exams?

Child support is fungible, too, but that doesn't mean that the parent paying support is really paying for a step parent's cigarettes.

Komen says one thing and you say their statements are false yet you offer no proof of your theories.

[Eagle Eye]

Is there something that you do with good intentions that is not perfect?

You claim to be an absolutist on pro-life issues but you fail to expend every ounce of your energies to stop abortion. You don’t really do what matters to stop abortion. You lack of efforts allow babies to die. And more tomorrow.

Yes, you compromise. You don’t really do what it takes to stop even one abortion because you compromise. Yeah, look how many babies were killed while you post articles on the internet against an organization trying to do some good for some people.

Yep. While you are trying to deny Komen the opportunity to serve some women, you’re also allowing babies to die.

Good for you.

[Eagle Eye]

The posted article is innuendo without facts.

If gungrabbers were doing something similar to SAS wouldn’t you take take them to task?

Certain factions of FR ‘pro-lifers’ have few scruples when it comes to smearing anyone that doesn’t meat their standard of purity. If they aren’t 100% on board then they are “Pro Abort”...not 99%...nope, anyone that doesn’t like big posters with pictures of chopped up fetuses is pro abort...anyone that isn’t ready to stop contributing to Komen breast cancer research is pro abort because *some* fraction of *some* grant money *might* be used for *some* overhead due to fungibility of funds.

I’m about as radical 2A supporter as you’re likely to meet but I don’t treat those that don’t agree with me 100% like POS enemies.

Nope, ya gotta be a *Christian* pro lifer to do that!

[Eagle Eye]

Are you pro-abortion?

Are you pro-breast cancer?

[Eagle Eye]

Another thread another breast cancer cheerleader flushed out.

[Eagle Eye]

The fact that you are crusading to cut funds from breast cancer screening outreach programs make you pro breast cancer.

[metmom]

The response is a *yes*.

[metmom]

If they really cared about breast cancer, they’d dissociate themselves from PP which does abortions, which is linked to breast cancer increases.

[metmom]

As transcribed from a recording of the meeting, CRTL asked, “Why aren’t women being told about the most preventable risk factor?” to which Komen’s Brandorff answered, “We tend to focus on the cure... we’re focusing our energies on that, rather than the preventative.”

What a totally irresponsible attitude. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Better to not get breast cancer than get it and have to endure surgery, chemo, and radiation.

The connection between abortion and breast cancer and the pill and breast cancer is well established. They'd do more to cut the risk of breast cancer if they didn't encourage abortions and the use of the pill.

For an organization to claim that it's fighting breast cancer to support an organization that contributes to breast cancer is the height of hypocrisy.

[Eagle Eye]

Wow. Amazing. I guess you get to put your values on everyone else?

If I feed the poor do you call me Pro Rat because some rodents may eat some crumbs?

Have you read the Komen statements or are you relying on innuendo?

No point is there? Truth doesn’t matter and casting aspersions on others also demonstrates your Christian values, doesn’t it?

Amazing how people like you can take something good like breast cancer screenings and turn it into evil because it doesn’t fit your politics.