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Rod Dreher

Komen and abortion: Here comes the liberal blacklist

Washington Post health reporter Sarah Kliff tweets that the Yale School of Public Health is considering withdrawing its invitation to Komen founder Nancy Brinker to give its commencement address. Nothing this woman has done for women’s health in the 30 years she’s run the breast cancer charity matters anymore to these people; it’s all about abortion to them…

You know, the more I think about it, the more I realize this is a clarifying moment. Think of it! Three decades of service to women fighting breast cancer, and having raised and distributed … nearly $2 billion towards that goal, means absolutely nothing to these people now trying to destroy Komen. They could have denounced Komen’s decision, but in light of all Komen has done, and still does for women, turned their ire on the Republicans, the Religious Right, and so forth. But no, Komen broke ranks, and it must be dealt with harshly. And the sympathetic mainstream media is helping them do the job. All this reminds one of exactly what we’re dealing with here: what John Paul II called the culture of death. It is helpful to be reminded which side you’re on.

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Yup. The progs would vote for Ed Gein as long as he promised to fight those darn regressive GOP’ers on behalf of the “pro-choice” cause.

Good Solid B-Plus on February 3, 2012 at 12:22 AM

So for years, SGK was on conservative blacklists. Now that it’s on liberal blacklists, it’s a problem. #logicfail

SnarkVader on February 3, 2012 at 12:30 AM

The liberal mob is running amok.

Robert_Paulson on February 3, 2012 at 12:33 AM

I was reading through the comments on the link and was amazed at the number of people thinking this was a terrible blow for cancer screenings at Planned Parenthood.

I find that odd. I’m not a doctor, but I would think 20-somethings aren’t the primary target for mammograms.

The latest patient demographics I could find from PP was from 2009.

The breakdown by age:
Under age 18 — 9%
18-24 — 44%
25-39 — 37%
40 and above — 10%

I assumed mammograms were for middle aged women, so I went to the American Cancer Society’s page and they recommend women begin getting mammograms at age 40. (There has also been recent studies that suggest age 50 to begin yearly mammograms.)

So, in light of all of this, at most, 10% of the patients at PP could possibly be affected by the loss of this funding.

I would love for PP to release exactly how many mammograms or referrals for mammograms they’ve done in the last year.

ButterflyDragon on February 3, 2012 at 12:36 AM

It’s hilarious that the decision to cut out PP wasn’t at all political, it was purely practical. And now the liberals WANT to make it political. And when the Right gets upset about something, no one cares, the MSM doesn’t care, the conventional wisdom doesn’t care. But when the Left gets upset about something, EVERYONE is supposed to care. It’s no longer right-wing religious wackos we’re talking about, no, it’s Leftists who have their panties in a bunch, and we are all supposed to bow down and speak in solemn hushed tones about the Left’s cause celebre’. There is an injustice. Important people are upset.

BS. It’s all BS. It’s not even a political cause.

Paul-Cincy on February 3, 2012 at 12:38 AM

Komen has only been donating to Planned Parenthood for 2 years.
Planned Parenthood’s bitter campaign against Komen aided by liberal activists and media is analogous to a protection racket: Nice charity you’ve got there. It’d be a shame if anything happened to it. The message to other Planned Parenthood donors is that if they don’t play nice and keep coughing up the cash, they’ll get the Komen treatment. There’s one crucial difference, however. In a real-life protection racket, the victim never pays voluntarily. The threat is present from the get-go. By contrast, Komen presumably was not under any duress when it made its grants–and it could have avoided all this nasty publicity by never dealing with Planned Parenthood in the first place.
Thus smart prospective donors–especially ones that are apolitical, like Komen–are getting the message that supporting Planned Parenthood is a trap. Give once, and you will give again–or else you will pay.

Raquel Pinkbullet on February 3, 2012 at 12:45 AM

Cutting off funds to PP turned out to be a great way to uncover all the handmaidens of Satan. They’re the ones all hopping mad.

RBMN on February 3, 2012 at 12:56 AM

This is what happens when you make overtures to the liberal mob.

You’re entering a lifetime contract, and it’s a contract that only goes one way. If you ever let your support for any of their causes flag, you become far more despised than if you had no relationship with them in the first place.

Just look at Starbucks. They did nothing more than encourage customers to hang out at their stores. Unfortunately, those customers were liberals. Now, Starbucks has a catechism of fashionable causes printed on every piece of company stationery, a thinly veiled plea for mercy to the mob.

It does little good. Starbucks is still the first place bricked and torched during regularly scheduled G8 riots and tony Occupations. Less dramatically, they’re still the focus of harangues across the internet about their “business practices.” Once you pay the Danegeld, you’ll never be rid of the Dane.

HitNRun on February 3, 2012 at 1:03 AM

It is no longer liberal any more. Romney brought that tactic to the Republican party in the run up to the Florida Primary. Enjoy your new fascism!

astonerii on February 3, 2012 at 1:11 AM

i saw the last two minutes of Laurence o’donnell and Andrea Mitchel talking about this. Andrea looked like she had just gotten over a good cry…larry was pledging solidarity with the sisterhood in standing up against the evil pro-life people that has politicized this issue

i have no doubt that this all is a new $$$$$$ campaign, so that PP will be awash in abortion money.

r keller on February 3, 2012 at 1:18 AM

So let me understand the argument.

PP donation were a tiny part of the good Komen does and it’s awful they are being vilified for this.

Sounds a lot like the case against PP made here regularly.

freshface on February 3, 2012 at 1:18 AM

So let me understand the argument.

PP donation were a tiny part of the good Komen does and it’s awful they are being vilified for this.

Sounds a lot like the case against PP made here regularly.

freshface on February 3, 2012 at 1:18 AM

i think its pretty simple…but can you elaborate your theory….hard for me to follow

r keller on February 3, 2012 at 1:30 AM

Florynce Kennedy once said, “If men could get pregnant, abortion would be a sacrament.”

Lo! To the libs it has become a sacrament, and no men had to get pregnant to achieve it.

disa on February 3, 2012 at 1:38 AM

r keller on February 3, 2012 at 1:30 AM

PP does a tiny amount of abortion services and because of it all the good they do is ignored. Conservatives generally are out to destroy them.

freshface on February 3, 2012 at 1:38 AM

well the full on leftist machine is in action:

File this whole thing under “too many people have too much time on their hands”

On February 2, 2012, twenty-six U.S. Senators signed a toughly worded letter urging Komen to reverse its decision,[61] while the American Association of University Women said it would end all collaboration with Komen.[62]

oh, and here’s some old fruitloop actions:

Organizations such as Breast Cancer Action, an advocacy group, say that such promotions are often financially ineffective.[67] For instance, in 2005 Yoplait donated ten cents to Komen for each lid mailed in by consumers at a time when postage to mail a letter cost 37 cents.[67] Since the Save Lids to Save Lives campaign began in 1998, Yoplait has donated more than $25 million to Komen. In 2010 their annual maximum commitment was raised to $1.6 million.[68]

In April 2010, Komen received national attention when it paired with fast food restaurant chain KFC to offer “Buckets for the Cure,” a promotion in which fried and grilled chicken was sold in pink branded buckets. The collaboration garnered criticism from media outlets including The Colbert Report[69] and Bitch magazine,[68] and it raised concerns about the promotion of unhealthful eating habits and obesity.[70] KFC contributed over $4.2 million to Komen, the largest single contribution in the organization’s history.[71] The partnership with KFC, which has since ended, allowed Komen “to reach many millions of women that they had been unable to reach before,” said Brinker. Brinker did not quantify this opinion with hard numbers. [65]

r keller on February 3, 2012 at 1:40 AM

What’s fascinating is the solid link between breast cancer and abortion.

You’d think Komen would have severed ties with PP years ago when this info came out.

Makes you wonder what’s really behind all this…

katy on February 3, 2012 at 1:45 AM

PP does a tiny amount of abortion services and because of it all the good they do is ignored. Conservatives generally are out to destroy them.

freshface on February 3, 2012 at 1:38 AM

The irony of this all is that an organization dedicated to saving lives is being vilified by an organization that is dedicated to ending life.

ButterflyDragon on February 3, 2012 at 1:48 AM

PP does a tiny amount of abortion services and because of it all the good they do is ignored. Conservatives generally are out to destroy them.

freshface on February 3, 2012 at 1:38 AM

300,000 abortions per year is a “tiny amount?” They are the largest provider of abortions in the country.

Who are you trying to kid?

JannyMae on February 3, 2012 at 1:49 AM

PP does a tiny amount of abortion services and because of it all the good they do is ignored. Conservatives generally are out to destroy them.

freshface on February 3, 2012 at 1:38 AM

PP does a large business in aborting fetuses (300K)…and some 600K mammograms. In addition they provide contraceptives, which i suspect includes the day after pill

But the central, unarguable, point to me is Komen should be totally free to associate with whomever they want. If they feel that PP has some shady aspect…well, go for it.

I assume they’ll spend the money with other mammogram providers. Then everyone would be happy…even PP…right?

r keller on February 3, 2012 at 1:54 AM

Planned Parenthood has plenty of wealthy allies who are comfortable supporting the nation’s largest abortion provider, comfortable with its role as a mammogram middleman. I am not sure why Komen has to be demonized for its business choice.

this is the summary of K Lopez at NRO….pretty much sums up the conservative point.

Whatever demonetization there is is just cultural hegemony … i.e. people are NOT free to deviate from leftist dogma

r keller on February 3, 2012 at 2:00 AM

One of the idiot commenters linked to an article from DailyKos as a source of some incriminating evidence or something. And another could only post insults about the Komen founder Nancy Brinker’s looks and voice. When they have nothing, the libs can only attack you personally. Jerks…

Big John on February 3, 2012 at 2:48 AM

Tinfoil hat on….

This was all staged. Pp will get 1m in do ations over this. Komen is now tbe right’s bff and donations are pouring in.

Plus the left is ready to fight in an election year. You know who this helps….

Tinfoil hat off

angryed on February 3, 2012 at 2:57 AM

So for years, SGK was on conservative blacklists. Now that it’s on liberal blacklists, it’s a problem. #logicfail

SnarkVader on February 3, 2012 at 12:30 AM

So for years liberals have said they don’t support an abortion, but choice, but when a charity exercises its choice- they blacklist… #logicfail

melle1228 on February 3, 2012 at 3:18 AM

PP does a tiny amount of abortion services and because of it all the good they do is ignored. Conservatives generally are out to destroy them.
freshface on February 3, 2012 at 1:38 AM

40% of PP income from its medical centers comes from abortion and as a whole is does no mammograms. Every thing else they do should be ignored or it’s the equivilent of saying, “But people ignore the fact Hitler helped the economy and made the trains run on time.”

tommyboy on February 3, 2012 at 5:15 AM

angryed on February 3, 2012 at 2:57 AM,
That is about right. Ann Romney can cut a check from her and Willard’s account to Planned Parenthood. I’m sure some of the Romney family and their wealty liberal friends give generously so Planned Parenthood can continue keep the aborions coming.

CoolChange80 on February 3, 2012 at 5:36 AM

Ann Romney is probably already cutting a check to Planned Parenthood.

CoolChange80 on February 3, 2012 at 5:37 AM

The comments on the blog are hilarious. Several of these lib commentors seriously don’t see this as a war because “no one is killing anyone”

After all, abortion doesn’t kill anybody /

CaliforniaRefugee on February 3, 2012 at 6:48 AM

Yep. At least one Cleveland councilman is already lobbying to have the city pull the permit for the Race for the Cure in March.

saint kansas on February 3, 2012 at 7:34 AM

300,000 abortions per year is a “tiny amount?” They are the largest provider of abortions in the country.

Who are you trying to kid?

JannyMae on February 3, 2012 at 1:49 AM

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/post/what-planned-parenthood-actually-does/2011/04/06/AFhBPa2C_blog.html

Oh and before you doubt those stats, the same data that allows you to claim they perform 300,000 abortions a year substantiates that chart. But nice try.

40% of PP income from its medical centers comes from abortion and as a whole is does no mammograms. Every thing else they do should be ignored or it’s the equivilent of saying, “But people ignore the fact Hitler helped the economy and made the trains run on time.”

tommyboy on February 3, 2012 at 5:15 AM

You’re utterly ridiculous. PP provides the vast majority of those other services FOR FREE, because of government subsidies and private donations. So of course their “income” comes from providing abortion services because they are forbidden from using government funds to fund abortions. In one thread you say that PP secretly funnels government cash to abortion services and in another you say they get all their money from abortion services. Which is it?

libfreeordie on February 3, 2012 at 8:01 AM

After all, abortion doesn’t kill anybody /

CaliforniaRefugee on February 3, 2012 at 6:48 AM

If abortion was murder, it wouldn’t be legal. Whatever you may believe in your heart, the law is clear. Abortion is legal. Murder is not legal. Therefore abortion is not murder. And that’ not going to change anytime soon. Why not concentrate your efforts on the sin of making money into an idol. That’s a much more widespread sin in our society.

libfreeordie on February 3, 2012 at 8:03 AM

Apparently PP leaked this info, Komen was trying to keep it quiet (for obvious reasons). Interesting it should blow up the same time Obama made his proclamation to the Catholic church. He’s going to lose alot of religious votes (except for Pelosi’s, pig that she is) over the contraception issue, but got the libs all riled up with the PP thing. What a united.

ctmom on February 3, 2012 at 8:03 AM

A wonderful personal anectdote from someone who began going to PP at an early age, waited to have a child until she was married and had a positive experience. How many of you haters have actually *been* to a PP office?

I judge a person or organization based upon personal experience as it is the only true basis for fact I have. As a teenager, I went to PP with my mom to obtain birth control. My mom definitely wasn’t thrilled I was sexually active, but accepted it for what it was and took steps to protect me against pregnancy. The staff at PP were wonderful and took the time to educate me on not only how to use the pills but also STDs and many other health related topics. Once I was married, I returned to PP (in another state) to verify my first pregnancy in order to get an appointment with a local OBGYN (OBGYN would not accept my home prenancy test). When the staff member came back in with the results, she informed me I was indeed pregnant and asked me how I felt about it. When I told her I was thrilled, she beamed and was very happy for me. Actually, she looked relieved that I was happy. So much for the idea that some people have about PP being this money-hungry enthusiastic killer of babies. It’s simply not true.

libfreeordie on February 3, 2012 at 8:07 AM

Yep. At least one Cleveland councilman is already lobbying to have the city pull the permit for the Race for the Cure in March.

saint kansas on February 3, 2012 at 7:34 AM

That’s their right. I know a number of friends who are not going to race for the cure this year, they will be switching to other cancer/charity marathons. That is their right as well.

libfreeordie on February 3, 2012 at 8:14 AM

That’s their right.

[libfreeordie on February 3, 2012 at 8:14 AM]

I suppose lobbying to have the permit pulled, but it’s a violation of permit holder’s constitutional rights to have it pulled.

Dusty on February 3, 2012 at 8:25 AM

Planned Parenthood: Just another racket that takes taxpayer money then turns around and gives it right back to the democrat party. Unfortunately they butcher babies to get the money … and liberals approve!

darwin on February 3, 2012 at 8:28 AM

libfreeordie on February 3, 2012 at 8:14 AM

That’s just stupid. Race for the Cure is about cancer, not abortion. So your friends will refuse to participate in Komen’s primary activity, fundraising for breast cancer research, to protest the fact that Komen will no longer fund abortions. The moral confusion is astounding.

Charlemagne on February 3, 2012 at 8:34 AM

I’ve tried and tried but I still don’t understand the zealotry of the pro-choicers. Many of them are unmarried and/or don’t even have or want kids so what motivates them?

Charlemagne on February 3, 2012 at 8:36 AM

So for years, SGK was on conservative blacklists. Now that it’s on liberal blacklists, it’s a problem. #logicfail

SnarkVader on February 3, 2012 at 12:30 AM

What’s your definition of “blacklist”? Is it saying “no thank you, I don’t agree with your association to Planned Parenthood so I’m donating to the American Cancer Society”. Or is it huge foundations loudly proclaiming how evil your organization is now that you don’t agree with us, telling your followers to do the same, and have the Media cheering on your outrageously outrageous outrage.

Now can you guess who represents each reaction? You can even add a hip little “#” in your response, if it makes you feel better.

rihar on February 3, 2012 at 8:39 AM

Florynce Kennedy once said, “If men could get pregnant, abortion would be a sacrament.”

Lo! To the libs it has become a sacrament, and no men had to get pregnant to achieve it.

disa on February 3, 2012 at 1:38 AM

I love this quote, because it is so exactly backwards.

If men could get pregnant, there would be no abortions. There would be 6 months paid leave for all new parents, day care centers and parenting classes in every workplace, part-time tracks to partnership and corporate management, tax credits for homeschooling, free prenatal care, etc. Men would not tolerate the only “choice” being abortion.

rockmom on February 3, 2012 at 8:40 AM

Many of them are unmarried and/or don’t even have or want kids so what motivates them?

How about the belief that a woman’s body is her own?

Who’d a thunk?

inklake on February 3, 2012 at 8:43 AM

How about the belief that a woman’s body is her own?

Who’d a thunk?

inklake on February 3, 2012 at 8:43 AM

It’s illegal for her to take “her own” life. With good reason. Why is it legal for her to take “her own” baby’s life?

rihar on February 3, 2012 at 8:47 AM

If abortion was murder, it wouldn’t be legal. Whatever you may believe in your heart, the law is clear. Abortion is legal. Murder is not legal. Therefore abortion is not murder. And that’ not going to change anytime soon. Why not concentrate your efforts on the sin of making money into an idol. That’s a much more widespread sin in our society.

[libfreeordie on February 3, 2012 at 8:03 AM]

Skipping over the convoluted equating of sin and illegality, I’m glad to see that once abortion does become illegal, you’ll be okay with that, because it’s illegal, and you will concentrate on other lefty purported sins to whine about.

Here’s one to chew on as you sweat the inevitable future: the right’s re-infiltration of American institutions and the sweeping of the progressive riff-raff onto the dustbin of history.

Dusty on February 3, 2012 at 8:49 AM

How about the belief that a woman’s body is her own?

Who’d a thunk?

inklake on February 3, 2012 at 8:43 AM

It’s utterly contemptible to believe that killing a child for convenience is a choice.

darwin on February 3, 2012 at 8:51 AM

I’ve tried and tried but I still don’t understand the zealotry of the pro-choicers. Many of them are unmarried and/or don’t even have or want kids so what motivates them?

Charlemagne on February 3, 2012 at 8:36 AM

Men do not get pregnant. They are much better able to separate in their minds a roll in the hay from the possible consequence of creating another person. Given that women are the ones who get pregnant, a roll in the hay is less mentally separable from pregnancy.

A lot of women think that in order to be equal to men, they need to screw like men—fun and consequence-free. They want to bang some good-looking dummies they’d never want children with, because that somehow makes them equal to the rakes of the world, and that’s liberating or something. The natural urge to build a real connection with another person is squelched as false consciousness. Children are uninvited guests.

Sekhmet on February 3, 2012 at 8:51 AM

How about the belief that a woman’s body is her own?

Who’d a thunk?

inklake on February 3, 2012 at 8:43 AM

Pal, that has been debunked…your “body” may be your own, but the life inside is not “their” own…
If your comment was accurate, than just before a baby is born, a woman could put a knife into the child’s skull …oh, wait, under Planned Parenthood they can and do…
Think about what you are saying, a female can kill another female, because one female came first…

right2bright on February 3, 2012 at 8:53 AM

libfreeordie, Planned Parenthood kills babies… your prostrations to defend that will not change that.

ninjapirate on February 3, 2012 at 8:58 AM

If abortion was murder, it wouldn’t be legal.

It used to be illegal in most states until the courts stepped in. The only reason it isn’t illegal is because a few elites in the court system decided to change the semantics on their own.

ninjapirate on February 3, 2012 at 9:00 AM

>It’s illegal for her to take “her own” life. With good reason. Why is >it legal for her to take “her own” baby’s life?

As long as that baby cannot exist without her mother, then the state has no compelling interest.

When the fetus becomes viable outside of the mother’s womb, then the state does have an interest, and indeed, that’s what Roe v. Wade, and current law provides.

It’s called ‘privacy’ – AKA, none of your effin’ business.

inklake on February 3, 2012 at 9:00 AM

Charlemagne on February 3, 2012 at 8:36 AM

Because they believe that killing a human fetus is WRONG.
If you don’t understand this “zealotry” you may be slightly too small minded to post on this board.

bernzright777 on February 3, 2012 at 9:01 AM

>Pal, that has been debunked…your “body” may be your own, but the life >inside is not “their” own…

My body isn’t in quotes, “pal”. Stay out of it.

Or maybe you’re like Santorum, and believe that Griswold was incorrectly decided, too?

inklake on February 3, 2012 at 9:02 AM

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