Komen-Planned Parenthood fight is about women’s rights
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To the editor:
I have now heard at least four, if not five, different stories trying to back-peddle the Komen-Planned Parenthood mess. Frankly, I don’t believe a word of any of them.
I will never give another dime, not one, to Komen, for several reasons. First and most important, to see two of the most important, innovative women’s health care organizations involved in a public cat fight makes me sick to my stomach. Second, I can’t believe that people who are smart and savvy enough to run an organization such as Komen have fallen into the trap in which women find themselves every single day in this country: the ongoing, frightening, unadulterated erosion and revocation of women’s rights. It’s not bad enough that we’re not paid the same as men; we don’t get promoted on the same time schedule as men; it’s still considered amazing that as many women as men attend college; smart, capable women are considered a threat to men whose abilities are lesser – need I continue?
Even worse, and what I consider the most disgusting, shameful aspect of this event, is that while 99 percent of women (and 98 percent of Catholic women) use some form of birth control, we’re involved in an absolutely, totally inane discussion about whether or not women should have that right. Birth control? The most important element in decreasing the number of abortions? We’re arguing about that in 2012? While we’re busy arguing about whether women can take The Pill, we’re taking our eye off the real ball – the nut cases who want to overturn Roe v. Wade. And this is just the beginning. It’s bad enough that powerful men are conniving and planning to take us down (think every single Republican candidate for president), but now we have to watch Komen very publicly try to tear Planned Parenthood asunder? Shame, I say. Shame.
I watched Komen’s Nancy Brinker attempt to stumble through several explanations for this inexplicable decision. It is mind-boggling to hear that Karen Handel, a rabid anti-choice political loser who promised to de-fund Planned Parenthood if elected, would even be considered for any association with Komen, let alone be placed in a position of importance. From Handel’s campaign blog: “I will be a pro-life governor . . . I do not support the mission of Planned Parenthood.” Just a few months later she’s the Foundation’s Senior Vice President for Public Policy and, voile, less than a year after that, Komen is going after Planned Parenthood. Seeing women fighting women over something so essential and basic as the right to make decisions about our own health care is almost too painful to bear. If we can’t work together and stick together and support each other, believe me, this is only the most visible beginning of the end of our very basic rights as women. Komen must be really proud of the part it is playing in this debacle. The only good that could possibly come out of this travesty is that women will finally “get it,” and will stand up and say “Enough.” This must stop. Now.
Debra Bender
Cape Coral