The Pink Ribbon Paradox

My boys' school is participating in the local Susan G. Komen "Race for the Cure". In years past, we have not even given it a second thought -- we have donated, raced, purchased, and collected money blindly assuming that the money we were contributing was going towards Komen's mission of finding a cure to breast cancer.

Call it getting older, call it getting more frugal, or call it simply trying to assess how we are spending the money God blesses us with, Paul and I have looked into where our money goes -- who is getting it, and what they are doing with it. Whether tithing to our local church or feeding the homeless, it only makes sense to us to be wise and discerning.

So imagine our surprise (and actually our shame for not having noticed before) when we started seeing links from the Komen Foundation to Planned Parenthood. Millions of dollars donated to Komen are given to PP via grants. Nancy Brinker, CEO and founder of The Susan G. Komen Foundation (and sister of the late Susan G. Komen) claims that they oversee all their grant monies and they can assure donors that the money they give to PP goes only to serve underprivileged women with breast cancer detection and treatment services.

If Brinker really is being honest and Komen really does ensure that 100% of their grants to PP pay only for select services, it still makes me think about my role as a Christian. My role is to model, to the very limited extent that I am able, the life of Jesus. And I'm sorry, Mrs. Brinker, but I can't for the life of me see Jesus shaking hands with the Planned Parenthood folks, you know, the biggest provider of abortions in the U.S. I'm pretty certain He would help those poor, under-served women in need of a mammogram, ultrasound, biopsy, or surgery find another provider. You know, someone who gave a hoot about what His Father said: "I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live." (Deuteronomy 30:19) I think it goes to say that if you want to save the lives of millions of women, you would not abide granting money to an organization whose main purpose is to prevent and/or end life.

A little more research shows that Brinker sat on the board of PP. And that Komen's nephew owns property with PP. And when I came across this, I really did have to reach for the Pepto-Bismol. Then I read this, which has nothing to do with Planned Parenthood but everything to do with how incredibly wrong society has become. Suddenly Pepto wasn't nearly enough.

So today, when my 7 year old asked for the 16th time if he and Tucker could participate, I had to tell them why we didn't support the Susan G. Komen Foundation. I told them that they gave a lot of money to an organization that helps mommies keep from having babies. Tucker, 9, said, "you mean when a baby dies in his mom's tummy?" -- "no, sweetie, when a baby is alive but his mommy doesn't want to have a baby. This organization helps the mommy to kill the baby. "

He's 9. He'll figure it out.

And it makes my heart ache that he has to.