The Komen Foundation was Bullied by the Left

Posted by Jim_Daly Feb 7, 2012

The Susan G. Komen foundation succumbed this past Friday to a relentless barrage of political bullying, a fact that is not only sad news for those who cherish the sanctity and dignity of all life, but also for all of us who believe that a private philanthropic organization shouldn’t be subjected to such harassment.

That the Komen foundation apologized for its decision to halt contributions to Planned Parenthood is another illustration that political correctness is running amok.

Speaking on behalf of many who have committed their lives to defending the most defenseless, I lament the loss of principled decisions in our culture.

Consider the facts:

• The Komen Foundation is a private philanthropic organization. It has every right to fund or not fund charities or causes of its choice.
• That certain individuals and causes are “outraged” over Komen’s announcement is, in itself, outrageous.
• To complain about a gift not given is the highest form of presumption and arrogance.

And what about Planned Parenthood?

According to its annual report, the nation’s leading abortion provider is worth in excess of $1 billion. In 2010, abortion procedures constituted 91 percent (329,445) of Planned Parenthood’s services for pregnant women.

Yet, to follow their illogical argument, to have lost Komen’s projected yearly gift of $680,000 was somehow going to cripple their empire — and prevent them from continuing to offer mammograms. But Planned Parenthood centers do not offer mammograms, and instead refer women to other clinics for such services.

And let’s not forget what instigated this entire episode: Planned Parenthood is under federal investigation. They’ve been accused of using taxpayer money to perform abortions, a charge they deny, but common sense suggests otherwise. It’s something of a shell game. In 2009 Planned Parenthood received $363.2 million in federal money. In fact, since 1970, Planned Parenthood has received billions of dollars of taxpayer money.

Planned Parenthood is regularly lobbying for even more federal subsidies. So not only do they now want to take more of your money via taxes — but they also want to be able to tell private foundations whom they (should) give to!

It defies logic.

Furthermore, as I indicated earlier this week, the relationship between Komen and Planned Parenthood has always struck me as a peculiar affiliation. That’s because according to some researchers, there’s evidence of increased risk of breast cancer after an abortion. Thus, the very disease Komen is trying to fight is potentially increased by the services Planned Parenthood provides!

The Susan G. Komen foundation has done much commendable work, and as the world’s largest grassroots network of breast cancer survivors and activists, they didn’t deserve to be harassed and bullied like they were last week.

At the core of this matter, though, is a fundamental difference of opinion. Should private organizations have the right to operate under the rule of law? Should they be permitted to distribute their own funds to whom they see fit? Or should they be subjected to the rule and pressure of a mob mentality that is no respecter of independent rights, one who demands the donor’s money?

What we’ve witnessed this week is how bullies beat down their victims. It’s sad, unfortunate and most seriously, a tragic turn of events for the dignity and preservation of the defenseless victims of abortion.

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