Komen’s Betrayal

Filed in Delaware by on February 3, 2012

Last night commenter Liberal Elite wrote something that I couldn’t stop thinking about:

Looking at the whole picture, it’s easy to see this as a betrayal of women.

Betrayal.  The word fits.

For those of you who have been reading me, you are aware of how deeply breast cancer has touched my life.  My friend battled for her life awash in a sea of Komen pink.  Her house was filled with it, and she deeply associated with Komen.  They symbolized the fight against breast cancer.  More accurately, Komen was synonymous with breast cancer survivors, patients and those lost to the disease.

Most people drawn into Komen’s 5ks, walks and products did so because someone in their life was diagnosed with breast cancer.  It was personal.

It also wasn’t political.  Which is why Komen grew into the number one breast cancer charity.

Their branding was flawless.  Komen = breast cancer.  Their method of growing their brand, by enlisting breast cancer survivors, patients, and the family and friends of those who died from the disease, was guaranteed to lead to success.  In my case, when my friend with breast cancer asked me to support Komen I didn’t question her request.  If this charity mattered to her, then it mattered to me.  She believed in Komen.  She believed in the pink ribbons, the tee shirts, the walks for The Cure.

She believed, so I believed.  And now I can’t shake the feeling of betrayal.  The more that comes out about this “charity” the angrier I become.  Only 20 something percent of funds go to research?  With a number like that how can Komen’s goal be viewed as finding The Cure?  And I do blame myself for not researching this organization, but Komen thrived on our ignorance.  When your loved one is facing a potentially fatal disease and asks you to support a charity… you do it.

Oh yes, Komen picked their ambassadors well.

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A stay-at-home mom with an obsession for National politics.

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  1. puck says:

    Money – the kind of money SGK was pulling in – corrupts everything it touches.

  2. occam says:

    Just throwing this one out there – planned parenthood does not provide mammograms and Komen’s donations have gone up 100% in the last two days. By rerouting that money to organizations who actually do provide mammograms and by raising a boat-load of money didn’t Komen just advance the goal of fighting breast cancer a fair bit?

  3. Former PPDE Employee... says:

    Planned Parenthood never claimed to give mammograms. However, the money that SGK gave them went towards educating their clients on the risks and how-to’s of breast cancer. Planned Parenthood performs Annual exams for un- and under- insured women (hell, they’ll do it for the insured too…)Part of this exam includes a through breast exam. It includes the doctor/PA/NP/Mid-wife etc. teaching women how to do their own self-exam. SGK money helps cover these costs of educating women. When Planned Parenthood found my friends cancer, it wasn’t because my friend was a Democrat…Mammograms or not, this was clearly a political move for SGK, and I for one, will not be supporting them until they right this wrong. -Former PPDE employee

  4. jpconnorjr says:

    What is 17% of 100%?? … The amount Komen puts to alleged treatment…. What is total BS? That their actual contributions increased even 1%
    But I hope it makes you feel better occam

  5. pandora says:

    And I’ll throw this back at ya:

    Komen grants paid for about 4.3 percent of the 4 million breast exams and 9 percent of the 70,000 mammogram referrals provided at Planned Parenthood clinics in the past five years, Planned Parenthood said.

    Not all Planned Parenthood have mammogram equipment in house – hence referrals. You do realize when women go to their private ob/gyns that most are “referred” to another facility for their test since most ob/gyns don’t have mammogram equipment in their office?

    Do you also realize that for most women (especially women under the age of 40 since most insurance programs won’t cover mammograms until a certain age) the in office breast exam can trigger a referral for a mammogram… because that in office breast exam caused concern?

    IMO, I think Komen became advancing Komen.

  6. socialistic ben says:

    Pan, where is the data that shows only 20something percent goes to research… not that i dont believe your blogging, i need back up in another argument (one that is actually taking place outside of blog land!) and i cant seem to find it.

  7. socialistic ben says:

    Via TDB….. Komen reverses it’s decision! http://www.thedailybeast.com/cheats/2012/02/03/komen-reverses-planned-parenthood-cut.html

    Women (and those of us who love you) 1
    people who want to control your lady-bits…. 0

  8. puck says:

    “Komen’s donations have gone up 100% in the last two days.”

    Perhaps… but how much of their revenue comes from donations, vs fees on pink merchandise?

  9. Geezer says:

    SGK has now reversed its original decision, which matters not a whit to me. The real scandal here is that the organization spends as much on salaries as it does on research donations.

    It’s not about politics, it’s about efficiency. Why should I donate to an organization that’s more about self-perpetuation than research? “For the Cure” my ass.

    Puck: About $55 million a year comes from licensing the pink ribbons. Much of the group’s other donations come from the 5k races and such. I couldn’t find anything on how much just comes in over the transom.

  10. puck says:

    SGK donation page says “Server too busy.” I bet they just put up a page that says that.

    Update: “SGK has now reversed its original decision”

    LOL.. now they’ve betrayed both sides. Think of all those American Taliban donations from today now going to Planned Parenthood… I guess now banking systems will crash as they rush to stop their checks.

    That server ought to be freed up any minute now.

  11. Aoine says:

    @Ben – lady parts! LOVE IT!