Susan G. Komen Foundation Still Doesn’t Get It

[ensho]

http://fromtheleft.wordpress.com/2009/12/15/susan-g-komen-foundation-still-doesnt-get-it/


Until now, I had the utmost respect for the work the Susan G. Komen Foundation carries out in the fight against breast cancer. But it has become abundantly clear that the people who run the organization are clueless and until they open their eyes, they don’t deserve our support.

The controversy involves Sen. Joe Lieberman and his wife, Hadassah Lieberman. Ms. Lieberman is a paid spokeswoman for the Susan G. Komen Foundation. However, Ms. Lieberman has also worked as a paid consultant for companies including Pfizer and ALCO, both of whom oppose healthcare reform.

Activists are pressuring the Susan G. Komen Foundation to cut ties with Hadassah Lieberman after her husband, Sen. Joe Lieberman, announced he would not support an expansion of Medicare to cover individuals under the age of 55. Activists did not point to that decision, instead citing Ms. Lieberman’s ties to the health care industry.

The effort to dump Hadassah Lieberman is led by blogger Jane Hamsher, founder of Firedoglake, herself a breast cancer survivor, Hamsher released the following statement:

“We are asking Ellen DeGeneres, Christie Brinkley and other high-profile celebrities who are associated with Komen to demand that no more money raised for cancer treatment be given to Hadassah Lieberman or any other ex-Pharma/Insurance strategists.”

In response, the Susan G. Komen Foundation went tone deaf, refusing to sever their ties with Ms. Lieberman:

“Hadassah Lieberman is an important and valued Global Ambassador for Susan G. Komen for the Cure. As a Global Ambassador, Ms. Lieberman is focused on helping us reach out and educate women outside our borders about breast cancer, sharing our knowledge and experience in a culturally sensitive way that is making a real impact on the lives of women across the globe. We have every intention of continuing our relationship with Ms. Lieberman in our mutual pursuit of a world without breast cancer.”

-snip-

As a man and a blogger who watched his mother and cousin battle breast cancer, I am calling on the Susan G. Komen Foundation to fire Hadassah Lieberman immediately.
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yes, fire her and her stuffed pockets now.

[undeterred]

1. Just boycott them.

[Owl]

2. I'm giving no more donations to the Susan G. Komen Foundation until Hadassah is fired.

[Renew Deal]

4. Yeah, screw women!

:eyes:

[Renew Deal]

3. I don't see why she should be fired.

She's not her husband and her work doesn't affect her charity work. Besides, it's not helpful to the breast cancer awareness and support cause to lose a prominent person. Those demanding she be removed are stretching quite a bit.

[snagglepuss]

5. How may I ask does having an increased awareness of breast cancer

help if you don't have insurance to cover the health costs? It's outrageous that any organization like The Komen Foundation doesn't use its platform to vigoursly promote accessible healthcare. And one way for them to promote accessible healthcare is by having strong advocates of public health care, not ones tied to the insurance industry.

[hughee99]

7. Does breast cancer only affect the uninsured?

Yes, insurance is absolutely a problem, but not the only one. Raising awareness helps everyone, and helps raise money for research.

I'm sure the corporations Hadassah represents donate a lot of money (which I'm sure they get back in research grants). Should a foundation dedicated to a single specific issue take on other (even if related) causes if it may hurt their original, core goal?

[jberryhill]

8. Let Her Raise Awareness Of How Screwed Women Are

Maybe she can help teach women how to perform self-lumpectomies with common household items.

[SharonAnn]

10. Then stop paying her. She can volunteer for free.

[snagglepuss]

6. The insurance companies are probably big donors who would not

take kindly to having their shill removed.

[Berry Cool]

9. Not everyone who cries "We fight breast cancer, we fight breast cancer" is your friend

and it's high time the left saw that about Komen. Amazing that it took so long for them to realize that Komen is primarily in business to benefit Big Pharma and the insurance companies, not women with breast cancer.

They're the best known breast cancer orgaanization in the world--they have made sure they are--and because of that, they've gotten away with murder for years, with everyone assuming they're a "good cause" and terrified to whisper a bad word about them. It's bullshit. They're basically there to help Big Pharma come up with more and better treatments, not to help cure or prevent the disease. Treatment is fine as far as it goes and obviously people who already have the disease need treatment, but who profits the most--the people with the disease or the people who treat it?

Komen is all about waving a pink ribbon to make everyone think you're good and pure and perfect, while actually being in the business of helping ensure that the record profits for treatment of breast cancer keep flowing to corporations involved in its diagnosis and treatment. It always has been. It was started by Republicans and is run with a Republican mindset.

[NightWatcher]

11. it's all about PR. If you question them, you must hate women and want them all to get cancer

[RobinA]

12. I Guess I'm Missing Something

Helping Big Pharma come up with more and better treatment is bad, why? This sounds like a "big Pharma is bad" knee jerk to me. Who is supposed to be coming up with better treatment, some guy playng with test tubes in his garage? I think we're a little past that.