It’s Black History Month

picture by MoveOn.Org

“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,”- Susan G. Komen for the cure

just another rant …

On 1/30/2010, the New S.G. Komen for the cure organization put out a press release stating that they would be halting grants to Planned Parenthood. I read about it on twitter talked to a couple of tweeties and decided to research exactly who supports, pays, and otherwise is all in for the organization. The interesting thing about the  new Susan G. Komen for the cure site is that they do not give adequate information about who is actually running the organization, who handles their media or marketing or that Karen Handel held public office while in GA or that she is a staunch conservative. In addition, upon further research at various sites like wiki, I found that Nancy Brinker, a conservative and sister of Susan Komen worked under the Bush Administration, confirmed the Komen association with Ari Fleisher who was involved in filling the position of Karen Handel. Apparently, the move to halt some funding was in the works for about a year yet it looks like some in upper management decided to stay quiet.

I ask everyone who supports the new Susan G. Komen to question and challenge the organizations new policies and motive in deciding to use Rep.Cliff Stearns investigation to quantify the actions or pressures coming from conservative pro-life groups. I know many of us feel that Woman’s Health Care should not be a political football and that Komen should have remained neutral; provide women’s health care, trust the great people in charge at Planned Parenthood and remember the Hyde amendment but do not throw women under the healthcare bus or over the resource cliff.

This move will undermine the way women and men are able to access safe and affordable health care where there are so few facilities to begin with not to mention the number of health care workers who will be unemployed because the new Komen chose the ideology of so few over the lives of the many. The fact is that the number of early detection and services needed afterwards is beyond the number of women who actually get abortions. It is also important to know that funding for stem cell research is also under fire if not already eliminated.

I was sad and offended to learn how the new Susan Komen organization caved to the pressures of Republican representatives in Congress like Cliff Stearns or conservative groups and their ideology. It appears as if that family values platform is gaining more control over a woman’s right to choose and is indeed a political move that will backfire…

This controversy is not over …it is just the beginning folks

 in other News …

Former Obama Advisor Discusses Israel and the Middle East

Jay Carney Holds White House Briefing   live at 12:30pm ET

Newsmakers With Rep. Steve Israel (D-NY), Campaign Committee Chairman