The Disgrace for the Cure (Leadership at Komen is a Cancer)

(Photo is of a breast cancer cell)

The Komen Foundation learned about the impact of overreaching this week. They hired a right winger to be their VP, and she went to war on science and women's health. Karen Handel (the aforementioned right winger) resigned from Komen today, but not before her efforts to impose her political and moral belief seriously tarnished the non-profit's reputation and standing.

Komen announced last week that it would no longer provide grant money to Planned Parenthood for breast cancer screenings, earning it the new unofficial slogan, "The Disgrace for the Cure." Although breast cancer screenings (a physical exam, not mammograms) account for only about 15% of what planned parenthood does (and abortions only 3%), it is estimated that the Komen money paid for screenings last year that caught 177 cases of breast cancer. That's 177 women who might be dead now if not for the Komen money. (You have to hand it to the right wing. That is one sure way to reduce poverty: just let poor people die of curable diseases by cutting off their charitably donated health care.)

I saw a headline yesterday that Koman was also planning to stop finding stem cell research.

Am I the only one that thinks (1) reducing breast cancer screenings for poor women and (2) ending research funding for cancer cures are the opposite actions that Komen should be taking? What is Komen, anyway? Is it a cancer charity? Or is it the evangelical morality police?

Komen subordinated its raison d'etre to subjective political and religious preferences, and it lost credibility. Here's what that decision got Komen.

(1) Loss of supporters and donations. I for one will not be donating to them. Instead, I sent a donation directly to Planned Parenthood, who raised over $5 million since the Komen rejection last week.

(2) Komen had to reverse itself. Now it not only can't be trusted to actually reduce cancer deaths, but it waffles as much as Mitt Romney. It's inevitable when you taint yourself with politics.

(3) This morning Handel resigned. But in many ways it's too late. The head of Komen went all over TV telling people Handel was not behind the Planned Parenthood decision, only to have Handel confirm, in her resignation letter, that she was. So, Komen's leadership is a bunch of liars. There are many cancer charities. We don't need to support Komen.

The leadership at Komen is a cancer not because they are evil. They aren't. (BTW, neither is actual cancer. It's just cells growing out of control.) Like real cancer, the Komen powers-that-be went out of control, and now they must be eradicated, otherwise the organization will die. Handel's resignation is not enough. This is a non-profit medical charity. There can be no perception of dishonesty, nor of being anti-science. Anyone at Komen who agreed with Handel, or who lied for her, has to go. Otherwise, we should expect nothing more or less than a relapse. For a complete remission, there must be complete excision of the cancer.

One day Komen might win back my trust. But it will take a while. En masse resignations is a good place to start.