“Having had cancer, one important thing to know is you’re still the same person at the end. You’re stripped down to near zero. But most people come out the other end feeling more like themselves than ever before.” (Kylie Minogue)
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White. Black. Conservative. Liberal. Democrat. Republican. None of these labels will make you more immune to breast cancer than the other. It has no politics. It doesn’t discriminate. It doesn’t play favorites.
From the time she was a teenager, my wife has found a lump in her breast on three separate occasions. The first time happened before I met her, and I was with her on the other two. Each time, they were found to be benign. But I can never forget the anticipation and worry as we waited for the doctor to let us know whether the mass found would be harmless or if she was going to be in for years of chemo and hormones.
So when I found out about Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, my first instinct was to donate. And one of the reasons I did was because in my research, I learned that they funded Planned Parenthood.
Fact: According to the American Cancer Society, breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in the United States and the second leading cause of cancer death in women after lung cancer.
When many people hear Planned Parenthood, the first thought to those of a narrow, tunnel-vision mindset is abortion. True, they do provide that, but one of their main directives is to provide health care to women who can’t afford it. This includes pap smears, mammograms, and other services that are necessary for living a long, healthy life.
Unless you’ve been living underground for the last two years, it has been obvious that Planned Parenthood has been in a fight to stay alive. It has been under assault on various fronts by many forces who feel that it’s best to throw the baby (women’s services) out with the bath water (abortion). Now, Susan G. Komen has decided that it will no longer provide funding to Planned Parenthood.
Susan G. Komen’s CEO, Nancy Brinker, says that the decision is not political in any way. But since she is a Republican and a donor to Republican political candidates, it makes me wonder whether this is a coincidence. I’m sure that many others have the same suspicion.
Fact: A woman’s chance of having invasive cancer: 1 in 8. The chance of dying from breast cancer: 1 in 36. Number of breast cancer survivors in the United States: 2.5 million.
I know that Planned Parenthood is not the only place that provides these services. I know that Susan G. Komen provides funding to many other organizations, hospitals and clinics that can provide them. But consider the fact that for many people who are part of the “working poor,” who live one check away from poverty and who have to make a choice between paying for insurance and being able to afford their rent, Planned Parenthood was the only option for them. Also consider that the alternatives (community health clinics) are available, but only to those who live under a certain income, which you usually disqualify yourself from once you get a job. A deadly Catch-22 to find oneself in, to be certain.
Fact: Estimated new cases of breast cancer in 2011: 232,620 (230,480 were women). Estimated cases of death due to breast cancer in 2011: 39,970 (39,520 were women).
Susan G. Komen has a right to choose who it grants money to and who it will not. But with the economy still struggling to recover, with more people losing jobs and benefits, and with the divide between the rich and the poor growing wider than ever, it’s disappointing to see that Susan G. Komen’s pink hands seem to be getting a little redder.
All stats provided by American Cancer Society. For more information, click here. For more information on Planned Parenthood, click here. For more information on Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, click here.
