The backlash against the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure Foundation has been huge and probably is not going to go away anytime soon. One of the reasons is that with their thinly veiled, politically motivated defunding of Planned Parenthood a light has been shined on what they have become.
I heard a quote once that I can’t find the author of , but it said:
First it is an idea, then a movement, then a business, then a scam”
The Komen foundation has moved firmly into the business end, verging on scam. Their purpose is to raise money for its own sake at this point. How can we know that for sure? Take a look at the Walther “Hope” Edition 22.
It can be found at Discount Gun Sales in Seattle, where a small (undisclosed by the way) portion of the sale goes to the Seattle branch of Komen.
That’s right gentle reader, the Komen Foundation will use its name to pink-wash any product, including handguns.
This is just so wrong on so many levels. With all due respect to my fellow Kossacks who are adamant about their 2nd Amendment rights, this a travesty.
It is no secret that I am not a fan of handguns and think that gun ownership and our dysfunctional relationship with weapons is a major problem in the United States. But I think that even the RKBA folks here might agree that making a weapon that looks like a toy is not a good idea.
Beyond that issue it just goes to show that Komen will bless any product, regardless of what it is, if it generates a little more money for their funds. The fact that they are now using that money in ultra-conservative ways is where they have moved into the scam category.
By ending their embryonic stem cell grants as well as defunding Planned Parenthood they have shown that they are just another Right-wing group that fleeces its donors and will focus not on the mission of finding a cure for breast cancer but rather follow that conservative god of making more and more money at every turn going forward.
No one who considers themselves a Liberal or Progressive or even just a friend to women should donate to Komen, but that does not mean that I think is should go away. They will at the very least do some lip service work on the cancer issue and every little bit helps.
Perhaps more importantly, they are a place where Wingnuts can spend their money that is less harmful than donating it to groups that work actively to outlaw a woman’s right to control her reproduction and undermine women’s health.
It is, after all an ill wind that blows no good. So let’s hope that more of these kind of products are brought to light so that folks can know what kind of organization Komen has become and make their giving decisions accordingly.
Me? I don’t have a lot of bucks but I am sending $15 to Planned Parenthood this morning in the name of my Aunt Dorothy, who died of breast cancer, because I am sure they will do more to help women avoid her fate than Komen will ever doing going forward.
Micheal Bloomberg is matching all donations up to $250,000 dollar for dollar so today is the day to make you donation to Planned Parenthood count twice. If you'd like to donate, here is the link.
The floor is yours.