The Komen Foundation is still trying to undo the damage done. Now the foundation has issued an "apology." Via the
Dallas News:
We want to apologize to the American public for recent decisions that cast doubt upon our commitment to our mission of saving women's lives.
The events of this week have been deeply unsettling for our supporters, partners and friends and all of us at Susan G. Komen. We have been distressed at the presumption that the changes made to our funding criteria were done for political reasons or to specifically penalize Planned Parenthood. They were not.
Yeah, I'll just bet it has been distressing for the foundation to watch its sterling reputation go down the drain in just a few days.
Our original desire was to fulfill our fiduciary duty to our donors by not funding grant applications made by organizations under investigation.
Right. That would be the bogus, politically motivated investigation launched by Republican Rep. Cliff Stearns, who made it quite clear last year that his goal was to shut down Planned Parenthood because he thinks women's health is icky and immoral.
We will amend the criteria to make clear that disqualifying investigations must be criminal and conclusive in nature and not political. That is what is right and fair. [...] Amending our criteria will ensure that politics has no place in our grant process. We will continue to fund existing grants, including those of Planned Parenthood, and preserve their eligibility to apply for future grants, while maintaining the ability of our affiliates to make funding decisions that meet the needs of their communities.
What does that mean? Does that mean the foundation will not defund Planned Parenthood based on its new criteria? That isn't clear. After all, Brinker was already claiming yesterday that it would honor those grants already issued to Planned Parenthood. That was never the problem. The problem was determining that it would not give any future grants, based on its new "criteria." Does this mean Komen will continue to fund Planned Parenthood? If it does, why doesn't Brinker state that explicitly, so there is no confusion?
It is our hope and we believe it is time for everyone involved to pause, slow down ... and reflect on how grants can most effectively and directly be administered without controversies that hurt the cause of women. We urge everyone who has participated in this conversation across the country over the last few days to help us move past this issue. We do not want our mission marred or affected by politics - anyone's politics.
Ahhhhh. Right. So the real problem is those people who need to "pause" and "slow down." Translation? Stop being mad at us! Stop accusing us of politicizing women's health care! Come on, ladies, keep buying those pink spatulas! If you don't, you're making this political!
We extend our deepest thanks for the outpouring of support we have received from so many in the past few days and we sincerely hope that these changes will be welcomed by those who have expressed their concern.
Really? What support? All those angry comments Komen has been deleting from Facebook? All those people who are saying they will no longer support Komen's events or buy Komen's products? The Komen employees who are resigning in protest? The senators who are sending sternly worded letters? The Komen affiliates around the country who are blasting the foundation for this new policy? That support?
Sorry, but to me, this looks like more damage control. If Komen is really sorry and really changing its criteria and really continuing to fund Planned Parenthood's cancer screening and prevention programs, why doesn't it say so in big, bold letters?
This just looks like a further attempt to try to save Komen's battered image. Is that enough for you?
Want to support a real pro-women organization that really does focus on women's health care, not politics?
Click to donate to Planned Parenthood.
