For the past few days I have spent a large, huuuuuuge, amount of time posting stuff and keeping various poeple and places up-to-date on Susan G. Komen "for the cure"'s move to remove mammogram funding from Planned Parenthood.
Many, including Joan Walsh, knew that this move by Komen would damage them, and possibly end them. On the Ed Show last night Nation Organization for Women's president, Terry O'Neil, predicted that in 5 years Susan G. Komen for the Cure may no longer exist.
I have been reading a lot and in the NY Times piece,
Outcry Grows Fiercer After Funding Cut by Cancer Group, by Jennifer Preston and Gardiner Harris I found this interesting tid bit:
Over 30 years, Komen became one of the most successful disease advocacy organizations in the world by making pink ribbons and the fight against breast cancer as prevalent a symbol here as baseball and apple pie.
Avoiding this kind of controversy was the very reason Komen chose a quiet ending to its relationship with Planned Parenthood, Mr. Raffaelli said. And he said Komen was bitterly disappointed that Planned Parenthood was using Komen’s decision to raise money.
Well, in the words of a Karen Handel's infamous retweet, "cry me a freaking river."
Did Komen think that Planned Parenthood, which has been under increasing attack, wouldn't try to replace those funds? Did they just think PP would go quietly? If so, they didn't undertstand many things, including lessons learn from Acorn.
A lot of people have been writing that Komen didn’t have a communications strategy and that was their problem. Well that was one problem. Others include a complete lack of understanding of the Internet, how news spreads during a news cycle, and the temperature of progressive activists after a lot of backsliding on this issue specifically, and more generally with things learned from the ACORN fight.
-- Raven Brooks at Netroots Foundation, How Komen flushed their brand in 24 hours.
While I know that Rachel Maddow is flummoxed that only now are people beginning to get up in arms over the attacks on Planned Parenthood (many people here, including me are feeling somewhat the same thing, but also thinking "Thank dog they are finally paying attention."), I don't think we should gloss over the affect Acorn's demise has had.
We are much more attuned to James O'Keefe and his methods, and know the end result if we let Republican attacks- unfair, lying and misleading as they have become- go un answered.
To think that Planned Parenthood wouldn't even let people know that it couldn't provide those services anymore and why, was stupid on Komen's part. To think that we haven't learned lessons from the loss of Acorn, is also stupid on the part of the right.
Has O'Keefe been able to successfully pull off any thing else?
If anything good has come from Acorn's demise, it is this. We will fight back.
As I was writing Susan G. Komen for the Cure just reversed itself . . . maybe.
This from the De-fund the Komen Foundation facebook page
Morning everyone! In light of the "breaking news" that Komen has reversed its decision: PLEASE WAIT TO CELEBRATE.
The official statement issued was that they will "honor existing grants" (which only means they won't demand the already granted money back) and that PP is free to apply again in the future - to which Handel already stated publicly yesterday that even if they apply again, they are unlikely to give them anymore grants due to much of PP's mammography services being referrals to off-site radiology labs and that they are, quote: "moving away from 'pass-through' services."
As the story develops, we'll keep you posted.
My opinion is that is doesn't matter now. They have lost the trust of the left, which they probably will not get back. Too much has been learned about the organization, and what didn't stick before will stick now.
With this reversal they have now angered the forced birther right.
They are done.
I'm now watching the SGK facebook page(s) for the sounds of angry rwingers.
De-fund the Komen Foundation (18,227 members)
Boycott Susan Komen (1,080 members)
Boycott Susan G Komen Foundation (1,011 members)
Stop the Susan G. Komen Fdn's Race Against Planned Parenthood (391 members)
Stand With Komen (324 members)
The Decemberists
The Decemberists are deeply troubled by Susan G. Komen for the Cure's recent decision to cut off funding to Planned Parenthood, a vital resource in the battle against breast cancer. Providing cancer screenings to low income women is integral to the prevention and defeat of breast cancer and it is unconscionable that Komen should politicize this very important issue by bowing to the fear campaign being waged against PP by the right. We've decided to redirect the proceeds of the Team Jenny t-shirts and buttons away from Komen for the Cure. 100% of the net profits of these items will be instead donated to Planned Parenthood's Breast Health Emergency Fund
Please help to support this essential institution. And, if you've supported the Team Jenny effort in the past, please write to Komen for the Cure via their site (http://ww5.komen.org/... ) or via twitter (@komenforthecure) and let them know that undermining women's health for political reasons is unacceptable.
http://www.facebook.com/...
~and~
Sexy Liberal Comedy Tour
Profits from this weekends show in Philadelphia will be PROUDLY donated to Planned Parenthood (Philadelphia chapter)! It's the sexy & right thing to do!
Philadelphia- Since we are donating proceeds this weekend to Planned Parenthood, the theatre has put into action a discount for remaining tickets to this Saturday night show- use the code SEXYLIBERAL and get remaining seats for $25- Help spread the word so we can give even more! https://tickets.kimmelcenter.org/Cart/Cart.aspx?perf_no=14984#PageSeating