‘Let us make a profit, so what?’ Komen for the Cash Cure defunded stem cell research, too
H/t to Angryblacklady. Add “Pink Ribbons, Inc.” to my must-see movie list
And then ask yourself … who is that stylish woman behind the Susan G. Komen Foundation?
You might be surprised at how partisan she actually is.
Meanwhile, with a hat tip to reader Anna, turns out Komen has also defunded stem cell research:
In addition to pulling funds from Planned Parenthood, The Susan G. Komen Foundation also decided to stop funding embryonic stem cell research centers, making it fully transparent the organization has evolved from non-political non-profit to a partisan advocacy organization.
That means the loss of $3.75 million to the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, $4.5 million to the University of Kansas Medical Center, $1 million to the U.S. National Cancer Institute, $1 million to the Society for Women’s Health Research, and $600,000 to Yale University. That’s a loss of nearly $12 million dollars in research money to eradicate breast cancer this year alone.
This is a new position for the organization which had previously supported all sorts of scientific research targeted at finding a cure for breast cancer and saving women’s lives. Its new position is that the organization will categorically no longer support any embryonic stem cell research.
Instead of the loud, clumsy announcement Komen made in severing ties with Planned Parenthood, this is a decision they quietly slipped in during November 2011. After all, with this new pro-life branding, you would think the Susan G. Komen Foundation would want to crow about its policy change since embryonic stem cell research is an issue near and dear to the anti-choice crowd Komen now serves.
Care2 also reveals that the decision to defund stem cell research last fall seems to coincide with Komen’s alignment with an organization called Americans United For Life, which the writer calls “the zealously anti-choice group that takes credit for pushing Komen directly and through members of Congress, to sever ties with Planned Parenthood.” The suggestion being that there may have been 2012 election politics at work. I don’t know if there’s evidence of that, but it’s clear that Komen is something other than a charity. It is a very profitable business for its founder, Nancy Goodman Brinker, and a vehicle for political activism on a national scale for the anti-choice/anti-stem cell research movement.
They may have backed down, at least for now, on Planned Parenthood, but to my mind, Komen has far from restored its credibility.
UPDATE: Americans United For life has taken down its promo page for a “Team Life” that it planned to run in the June 2 Komen Race for the Cure. Hm… Here’s a screenshot of the search result:
Just one day ago, AUL’s Charmaine Yeost was singing Komen’s praises.
BTW, the title is a reference to the infamous quote “let us make a profit, so what?” by Rick Scott, Florida governor and advocate of privatizing Medicare.
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The “how partisan she actually is” link isn’t working…404…no longer exists…Why is that?
They sPend 10 cents on the dollar for cancer research, the rest on wildly inflated salaries. (Alternet)
They have also made the comment that can spend on whatever they want which is pretty bad when you consider lots of dems have been donating!
Please do not let all of us down on who you are supporting.
I give to PP and have supported a number of your events.
Thank you for continuing your support.
Sincerely,
Kay Ball