amaditalks:

So Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure today announced that they will no longer give any funding to Planned Parenthood.

This funding allowed Planned Parenthood to provide breast examinations and referrals for mammography and ultrasound to patients at their health centers, patients who were able to be seen and treated at Planned Parenthood regardless of income or insurance, because of Planned Parenthood’s sliding scale fees and commitment to treating as many people as possible.

In the aftermath of this, which has turned into a flurry of opinion and counter-opinion, deleted comments on Komen’s Facebook wall, and a tweetstorm of epic proportion, some salient points worth consideration:

While pressuring Komen to reverse this decision is an option (and there is already an online petition going for that purpose) it seems unlikely to be effective. I am decidedly pessimistic about Komen walking back from this precipice.

Komen has said that this decision arose from a new policy of not funding any organization that is under government investigation. Since Planned Parenthood was already under investigation when the policy was changed, it’s pretty clear that the policy was targeting PP.

Moreover, this Komen policy and the subsequent de-funding came quickly behind the hiring of Karen Handel as Komen’s Senior Vice President for Public Policy. Those in Georgia recall that in 2010 Handel ran for governor of Georgia with a extremely anti-choice platform. This woman is responsible for policy decisions for Komen, and she is clearly opposed to Planned Parenthood.

And we cannot forget that the founder of Komen, Nancy Brinker, has long been tied to the highest ranks of Republican politics.

Komen didn’t cave to external pressure from the right wing, because the right wing is intrinsic to the executive power structure of Komen.

Those who rely upon Planned Parenthood as their health provider, who still need breast examinations, who still need funded referrals when there is an issue, well, they’re collateral damage in a culture war that begin more than 30 years ago and has always had its sights set not just on Planned Parenthood but any organization that supported or affiliated with them.

So where do we go from here?

Well we give Komen the business. We email (news@komen.org), we tweet (@komenforthecure), we call (972-701-2168). We absolutely refuse to donate, not directly, not by buying pink ribbon festooned (and pinkwashed) products, not by sponsoring someone for a 5K or a 3 day walk. So long as Komen plays politics with human lives, they should not see another single penny of our money.

But more importantly, far more importantly, we do donate to Planned Parenthood, we go over and above the money that they will lose because of Komen, we get every penny we can to Planned Parenthood to ensure that no one will go without a needed cancer screening, no one’s life will be placed at risk because of where they get their medical care.

Planned Parenthood — and its clients, by extension — must be our primary concern and our primary focus. The political battle will always be there, it can be put on hold for a while. The patients whose care is hanging in the balance cannot wait.

We must keep our focus, we must redouble our commitment, we must step into the breech.

Join me in making a tax-deductible donation to Planned Parenthood right now.

dobbaaa:

I don’t know about you guys, but statements that are labeled as “facts” that aren’t facts in the first place piss me off.

And uh, heads up: Rant time! (And I’ve only been up for 20 minutes!)

BONUS: I HAVE PICTURES.

I know people hate abortion. Anti-choicers hate abortion. Pro-choicers aren’t too fond of it, either.

Do you guys honestly think people want abortions for shits and giggles?

We want abortion to be safe and legal so people have the option. We aren’t forcing anybody to have an abortion done. We just don’t want people dying in back alleys, having complications, or carrying to term when they really don’t want to or if they can’t.

With that said, bring on the pictures!

No. Gender-selective abortion is super rare in the United States. Would you like to know why? Because most abortions happen way too early in the pregnancy to detect the gender of the fetus.

Abortions in the U.S. by 10th Week of Pregnancy
Gender is definitely unknown at this point.
 77%

Abortions in the 11th through 12th Week of Pregnancy
Possible, but extremely unlikely, that gender is known.
 12%

Abortions in the 13th through 15th Week of Pregnancy
Some will know gender by this point, but not most.
 6%

Abortions in the 16th through 20th Week of Pregnancy
Gender is usually determined by ultrasound around 20 weeks.
 4%

Abortions after the 20th Week of Pregnancy
Gender is probably known by now if an ultrasound is performed.
 1%

Detecting the gender of a fetus has to wait until 18-20 weeks. Please, use your eyes and find the 16-20 mark, followed by the 21 or more mark. Do you see that? 5.3 %. And let me tell you something: nobody wants an abortion in the second and third trimesters for funzies. 

Now, onto the references to Planned Parenthood:

Okay. I know for sure I’ve gone over this about a million times. 

In fact, on my computer, I have saved another pie chart to battle your pie chart.

Oh wow! Do you see that?! STD/STI testing, contraception, and cancer screenings make up the majority of the chart! 

Not only that, but PP provides prenatal care, adoption referrals, and general care. You know, not like I’ve said that 10,000 times.

WHAT A CONCEPT.

So please. For the love of Space God. Before you word puke false information everywhere, get your shit together. 

A+ love this! Thank you for always spreading TRUE facts instead of bullshit