My new gravatar depicts perfectly how I felt when I read the following blog last night http://ihavebreastcancerblog.wordpress.com/2012/01/31/shame-shame-shame-on-susan-g-komen/ and how angry I still feel with the Susan G Komen foundation. While I’ve never been a fan of the ribbon, I have been a fan of any organization that works hard to raise money for cancer research and supports early detection screenings. Not just breast cancer, but for all cancer. However, no cancer seems to get as much press as breast cancer. Not even children’s cancer and that has always troubled me. When October rolls around and the whole world turns pink I wonder if people affected by other types of cancer feel any resentment? I think I would in their shoes. But I digress.. the reason for this rant is the fact that the foundation, who has been providing funding to Planned Parenthood, has pulled that funding based on the personal ideology of their new VP of public policy, a one Karen Handel who actually once ran for Governor of Georgia on a platform of defunding Planned Parenthood. I have to wonder if she took this job soley to fulfill her own twisted agenda. And I also have to wonder why the rest of the organization is going along with it. The monies given to Planned Parenthood by SGK were for early breast cancer detection. Not for abortions. Not for birth control. But to provide women who might otherwise have no way to get it, breast cancer screening. I don’t care what your political or religious views are and I won’t bore you with mine, but I am sick to death of women’s healthcare being held hostage by the rantings of extremists. Conservatives don’t want the government to pay for healthcare, yet they want to dictate how nonprofits handle their funding? It’s crazy making. In the future when asked to sponsor someone in the “walk for a cure” I will politely decline and make a donation to Planned Parenthood instead. Join me?
And now I am putting to rest my ribbon. I can support breast cancer research without festooning myself and my house in pink ribbons. You can too.
mainelyhopeful 
This little movie at the Toronto Film Festival is also making a lot of noise. http://www.nfb.ca/film/pink_ribbons_inc_trailer/?ntpg_src=links&ntpg_sid=pink_banner_facebook_en_text
LikeLike
Thanks, Susan. I’ll check it out
LikeLike
thank you! i agree…when i was diagnosed, i told my mom to tell everyone to not send me pink. not becuse i don’t want people to know, or show support, or what have you…but why must we wear this badge? there is a lot to think about in regards to labeling and what makes us victim to carrying labels. we forget about those with different ones? i am still working on a post about this.
best to you and your health.
LikeLike
Thank you Jelebelle and the same to you and yours.
LikeLike
I hadn’t heard about this, and am glad you shared it.
LikeLike
Pink is dink!
LikeLike
Pink Stinks!
LikeLike
Thanks for sharing. So sad that an organization designed to do so much good is becoming political. Your comment about the world turning pink in October struck a chord with me. As a non-hodgkin’s cancer patient, I have felt somewhat like the “red-headed stepchild” at times because there seems to be so much focus and attention given to breast cancer patients. At our hospital, there is a special breast cancer center while all the other cancer patients are treated in another area. Having said that, I do think that breast cancer is a unique beast and brings with it different psychological and emotional baggage than other cancers. The most important thing is for people like you to continue to bring your cancer journey into the light so that we can all walk through this process with you and the awareness about cancer is increased through your sharing your story.
LikeLike
Like you, I have trouble with the pink and all of the breast cancer support when there are so many other cancers. I’m not special because I have BREAST cancer. Cancer is cancer, and some of the other cancers are so much more difficult. I live in Georgia and didn’t know that Karen Handel is behind the defunding of Planned Parenthood. It totally fits her, though. How did the Komen marketing machine let this happen? They’re usually so savvy. I see today that they might have reversed the defunding. They have done SO much good, and it’s because they are great marketers. I’m very intrigued by how they’ve managed to become ubiquitous, with pink ribbons everywhere on all sorts of products and pink-outs in stadiums and arenas from high schools to colleges to the pros. A friends says it’s because breast cancer has lots of survivors and many other cancers don’t. I’m sure that’s a factor. But let’s fund research for all cancers, especially the ones that aren’t very survivable now. And let’s not stop funding programs based on political ideology.
LikeLike
SGK is not the only company that funds breast cancer research for cures. promotes early detection, helps local cancer patients with places to stay while in treatment, transportation to and from treatment if they don’t have it, and countless other ways that benefit cancer, and breast cancer, patients.
SGK does not OWN the pink ribbon. So please don’t negate all pink ribbons due to the political back and forth BS of one organization. Lots of pink ribbons are the sign of lots of different organizations funding breast cancer research, support, information, and clinical trials.
I also find it odd that other cancers are not in the spotlight as breast cancer – but they aren’t as common and they don’t seem to affect so many people in their outward appearance, or their future sexuality. Breast cancer is running rampid and somehow – someday – there has to be a cure. I am speaking from my own point of view of course…I have already had breast cancer, my Mom died from her third battle of breast cancer, my Grandmother had it, and two of my Grandmothers sisters had it. Now I am hoping and praying a cure is found before my own daughter becomes “one in eight”. Those odds are staggering.
There are plenty of other places to point your passion toward, it just seems our culture is so cleavage crazy that breast cancer gets so much attention because of the love of cleavage in cheerleaders for the NBA and the NFL, cleavage on The Bachelor, on Victoria Secrets commercials, in every magazine, and on lots of billboards, Maybe it’s because our culture is so cleavage and boob crazy that it is only natural for everyone to want to save the breasts they all love so much. I dunno.
LikeLike
Lung cancer kills more women every year than breast cancer and you don’t see celebs sporting white ribbons everywhere. We don’t even get a color, we get white.
Direct your donations to the American Cancer Society. They are the only ones I’ll support.
LikeLike
I used yellow smiley faces rather than pink ribbons. Still do.
LikeLike