Decoding Komen’s supposed cave
12:20p: The more I read Komen’s statement, the more brilliant it becomes. Planned Parenthood loses its PR edge if any of its affiliates are convicted on criminal grounds.
12:13p: Ezra Klein at the Washington Post:
But what does this mea culpa mean? Brinker goes on to make clear that they will amend their guidelines so only “criminal and conclusive” investigations affect their funding decisions. They will ensure that “politics has no place in our grant process,” and they will “continue to fund existing grants, including those of Planned Parenthood, and preserve their eligibility to apply for future grants, while maintaining the ability of our affiliates to make funding decisions that meet the needs of their communities.”
So they are, perhaps, backing down. Or perhaps not. Yesterday, the Komen Foundation said the investigation was not the cause of their reduced support for Planned Parenthood, and that the real issue was that Planned Parenthood did not directly provide mammograms. This statement doesn’t address that concern at all. So it would appear to leave open the possibility that the foundation intends to reject Planned Parenthood’s future grant applications — albeit on less overtly political grounds.
I posed these questions to Leslie Aun, vice president for communications at the Komen Foundation. “I think our statement speaks for itself,” she replied.
12:05p: This is all breaking news, so bear with me. I’ll tell you what I know. News organizations like the Associated Press are reporting:
After three days of controversy, the Susan G. Komen for the Cure breast-cancer charity says it is reversing its decision to cut breast-screening grants to Planned Parenthood.
Read Komen’s full statement here. Key excerpts:
Our original desire was to fulfill our fiduciary duty to our donors by not funding grant applications made by organizations under investigation. We will amend the criteria to make clear that disqualifying investigations must be criminal and conclusive in nature and not political. That is what is right and fair.
Our only goal for our granting process is to support women and families in the fight against breast cancer. Amending our criteria will ensure that politics has no place in our grant process. We will continue to fund existing grants, including those of Planned Parenthood, and preserve their eligibility to apply for future grants, while maintaining the ability of our affiliates to make funding decisions that meet the needs of their communities.
It is our hope and we believe it is time for everyone involved to pause, slow down and reflect on how grants can most effectively and directly be administered without controversies that hurt the cause of women.
This statement represents nothing new. Komen and CEO Nancy Brinker had already stated they would continue to fund Planned Parenthood’s existing grants through 2012 (one through 2013). Brinker told Andrew Mitchell that number was three. Other reports and my source say the number is five.
If Planned Parenthood is found guilty of criminal investigations, several of which are ongoing around the states (Medicaid fraud in Texas and California; fraudulent reporting and illegal abortions in Kansas, and yes, the federal Congressional investigation, etc.), Komen’s criteria will still disqualify Planned Parenthood from receiving grants, as it should.
This is Komen’s attempt to get the abortion mafia off their backs. Planned Parenthood and its thugs have engaged in typical shakedown: Give us money or we will destroy you.
Be savvy. Nothing has changed. Komen is merely trying to to get some breathing room.
Jill Stanek is a nurse turned speaker, columnist and blogger, a national figure in the effort to protect both preborn and postborn innocent human life.
Jill,
A GREAT number of pro-lifers, including national organizations have thrown a great deal of support behind Komen the last few days. My friends and I have been considering racing for a cure for the first time. Facebook posts in support, etc. I’m not understanding this new development. Do they deserve our support?!?
Jill,
A GREAT number of pro-lifers, including national organizations have thrown a great deal of support behind Komen the last few days. My friends and I have been considering “racing for a cure” for the first time. Facebook posts in support, etc. I’m not understanding this new development. Do they deserve our support?!?
Komen should realize that forgiveness is not a concept understood by proaborts, the most vindictive people on this Earth. Their “insult” against Big Abortion will never be forgotten. Komen is done. They should have kept giving Murder, Inc hundreds of thousands of dollars for “breast exams” that can be performed on ones’ self and take 20 minutes to learn how to do them.
What the idiot PP supporters also fail to mention/realize is that PP is VERY politically charged so by supporting PP, Komen has already picked sides, politically. Cecile Richards herself is constantly accusing the right-wing of this that and the other (in other words, we are the back up for all natural disasters when they can’t blame it on Bush any longer)
Jill, I think you are doing too much wishful thinking in this case. There’s only one source to consider about how this decision will go moving forward: “We are enormously grateful that the Komen Foundation has clarified its grantmaking criteria, and we look forward to continuing our partnership with Komen partners, leaders and volunteers,” Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards said in a statement. “What these past few days have demonstrated is the deep resolve all Americans share in the fight against cancer, and we honor those who are at the helm of this battle.”
Komen had nothing to lose going into Super Bowl weekend and just letting his blow over. They would have waited for weeks to see the damage to their funding, but curiously dropped this in the middle of the Friday news cycle. The only reason they would have risked this is either Nancy had to put down a rebellion in her own group or a huge donor picked up the phone and told them what’s what. Either way, I don’t see them not continuing funding Planned Parenthood. Now everyone who didn’t know before knows they give them money, it’s the top story everywhere. That prolifers who already sent money the last few days could be slightly mollified is their fervent prayer.
a Pro-Life friend donated to Komen in the last couple of days – she called them just now, and they agreed to return her donation
The cynical side of me wonders if this was all just a ruse to get attention and money for Planned Killingspree. It’s like they have a whole army of deranged lunatics ready to descend on anyone and anything that shows the slightest resistance to their murder of the unborn.
Not sure what to make of it. Will Komen defund PP completely if any single one of its affiliates is investigated or convicted of a crime? Or just not give to that one affiliate?
Let’s face it. Komen blinked pretty fast. That says to me that the funding withdrawal was a hasty decision made primarily for political purposes without regard for the unintended consequences. And the bulk of those consequences are internal to their own organization. First of all, Komen had to quickly grant its Denver office a waiver on its request to continue partnering with Planned Parenthood in their city. Then, two highly-regarded senior managers at Komen resign over the funding withdrawal. And local offices in Connecticut and California take action to dissociate themselves from the national Komen organization. Those are only the internal conflicts that we know about. I suspect there were more in the pipeline which hadn’t come out in public yet.
Komen has long been criticized for departing from its core mission. Pink-washing is one example of this. As with many organizations, Komen has shifted focus to serving itself. And that is exactly why Brinker had to come out with her reversal today. This is all about face-saving for Komen at this point. She had to admit that the net-net effect of the controversy was threatening her donor support and revenue stream. It is just as complicated and simple as that.
All the drivel about how Komen has been victimized and all the related nonsense being spewed distract from the core issue here. Komen was suffering from a self-inflicted wound and acted quickly to stem the blood flow. The next thing I expect to read about this kerfuffle is that Karen Handel will be departing Komen via firing or resignation. That would be a very good thing, indeed.
12:20p: The more I read Komen’s statement, the more brilliant it becomes.
I would expect nothing less from Tokyo Rose. Feel free to re-arrange the deck chairs.
Komen’s brand has been irreparably damaged. Inconsistencies are emerging in Komen’s public statements concerning their decision.
The “main stream media” you love to complain about is now investigating Cliff Stearns and Karen Handel because they are now fair game. If they find a link between the two of them establishing some kind of collaboration, and they probably will, the congressman’s reputation will be destroyed and Komen’s brand will be damaged even further.
By the time this is over, you so-called “pro-lifers” will have likely set back the real pro-life movement by at least ten years.
If Komen wants to survive this, it’s time for their board of directors to call Karen Handel in for some truly serious questioning and damage control.
With all the “thank you” money going to Komen for withdrawing support to PP and all the “we’re so sorry you lost a donor” money going to PP the past few days, it all looks like a great PR plan to me. So glad I don’t support either of them and didn’t get sucked into donating. There’s a reason cancer is rampant in this nation. Spend some time doing research. The info is out there. It all starts with the poison being sold as food. Don’t think cancer isn’t as big a money maker as abortion is.
LOL Jill…. are these assumptions from the same “sources” that your post yesterday came from (aka your own wishful thinking)?
I don’t support Komen OR PP, so its been fascinating for me to sit back and watch the absolute hysteria coming from both sides, when neither has the slightest clue what they’re talking about.
You and your “sources”, the PP supporters and their “but zomg what about the mammograms?!”
I think this is a sort of funny, sort of sad example of how social media has created a culture where facts are less important than someone’s blog post/facebook status.
Interesting how the number of likes for Komen’s Facebook page steadily increased until today (yeah, that’s despite all the ranting and raving from pro-choicers and the “unlike Komen” campaign they waged), whereas the likes on Komen’s page has been in steady decline since they caved. It just goes to show that just because you– in this case, pro-choicers– scream the loudest doesn’t mean most people agree with you.
Kind of surprised (but not really) they gave in, considering the amount of vitriol and hate spewed by the left towards Komen in the past four days.
Remember the time that “pro-life Tokyo Rose” was putting up big pink ribbons declaring her eternal love and support for SGK and soliciting donations on its behalf, but then I pointed out how utterly silly and deluded that is because the attitudes toward abortion of SGK and its senior management have not changed one bit and every single action they’ve taken in this entire debacle has been the result of craven political maneuvering rather than some kind of principled stand against the encroaching Culture of Death™?
The Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure is not run by Machiavellian geniuses who are playing chess while their detractors are playing checkers. It is, instead, run by morons who have all the poise and preparedness of deer in headlights.
well – I think all the poor reporting certainly helped this situation arise. In the interview yesterday, the reported did not let the Komen CEO really finish or clarify what she wanted to say. The talking points are muddy – but from what I glean:
Komen was not un-funding pp’s grants already in place
Komen still wants to help women – but with less overhead and more accountability with tracking their patients and outcomes – so any future grants, if to PP, would have to meet this criteria
Komen is responding to the fact that PP does no mammograms themselves, and wants to deal more directly with providers
Komen is still funding help to the poor, and is planning to continue
I want to see/hear an actual statement from the CEO if their position has actually changed regarding the nuts and bolts. I’m not sure much has changed other than the first statement regarding not funding any entity under the cloud of suspicion to one of not funding an entity under guilty criminal situations.
The other part of the standards of accountability of grant money seems to still stand. I guess we will have to see directly what Komen is trying to say.
Too bad the MSM hijacked the story and reported it so poorly. I think if they reported it correctly in the first place, Komen’s previous supporters would not have been so upset. The MSM made it seem that Komen was taking back their funding bottom line, which they were not.
mp: “Komen’s Planned Parenthood’s brand has been irreparably damaged.”
Fixed it for you. PP has revealed that it is far more worried about protecting abortion than curing cancer — and don’t think Americans haven’t noticed.
When Congress moves to defund Planned Parenthood, and with this fiasco that day will probably come much sooner now, PP will feel a much-greater pinch than the $700,000 or whatever a year Komen was giving it.
Susan G. Komen regrets their decision. . . . already?
Yawn.
I didn’t trust them yesterday.
I don’t trust them now.
I won’t trust them tomorrow.
What is amazing is how quickly their changing their story and the amount of political pressure pouring on top of them by the abortion lobby.
Good thinking, Jill, but I think they need to speak straight.
Who knows exactly what they’re saying? How is the person on the street supposed to parse all this out? It looks like a PR nightmare to me. People on both sides are upset.
Cut the politics already and tell the truth, Komen. Are you supporting Planned Parenthood or not?
joan – it is hard for me to say this since I almost always vehemently disagree with you, but I believe there is a great deal of accuracy in your comment – I take solace in the fact that if nothing else this whole episode has brought PP and SGK and the whole abortion issue further into the spotlight – there are a limited number of us to whom this whole thing is a very important issue, some on your side and some on mine – sooner or later, all the people standing on the sidelines are going to have to get into the game – someone mentioned a Bible verse in a comment in the last day or so that summed it up – “Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No’ mean ‘No.’
I am not advocating one way or the other, but if you donated and wish to reconsider, the following info came from a friend of mine who did so successfully. She spoke to Komen, and they told her to do the following.
Send email request to donorinquiry@komen.org
Include:
Name
Address
Date of donation
amount of donation
Reason you are asking for refund.
I also included method of payment and how it was made: Online, phone, mail in donation
This stuff gets truly exhausting. I dont trust anyone in the media at this point. I will keep doing what I can to make the public aware of the preciousness of life. Organization, political and non profit, religious and secular are full of fallen people that waver, manipulate and pander. Roe V Wade will be reversed the same way that the Gospel spread. One person sharing to another and living their life in a way that honeos Christ.
Abortion is the left’s sacred cow. You can’t mess with abortion funding (under the guise of cancer prevention funding) without all kinds of hate and lies being thrown at your organization. Here’s hoping you’re right, and they will reject future grants, but I am not holding my breath.
Ohhhh, I can’t wait to see their next “brilliant” move. By the way, brilliant means tone-deaf, right? Here was the brilliance at work in this recent episode: We don’t want to fund Planned Parenthood any more but we know a majority of the individuals and corporations that support SGK and keep it in the limelight will NOT be happy about that, so we’re going to create a new “rule” which will allow us to do what we want. We won’t even worry about having the intelligence to think of any other group that might be impacted by this change so when a reporter asks, “What groups will be affected by this change?” Nancy Brinker will automatically respond, “Only Planned Parenthood, as far as I know.” Durrrrrrrrrrrr. Yes, by all means, more “brilliance” from Handel and her Handlers at SGK, please.
I’ve heard that planned parenthood doesn’t even do mammograms, they only do bimanual exams that anyone can do, so basically there is no need to fund them; besides abortion can increase the risk of getting breast cancer, I find it silly that Komen would donate to them.
Jill,
I love you. Thank you for doing all you do for the unborn. But, Komen has apologized and gave the public the impression that they have reversed their decision to fund planned parenthood.
The uncatechized women, women who are pregnant and distraught – this is a disaster at best. Komen is the major apostolate for curing breast cancer, yet they did not have the decency and honesty to stand up to what the World Health Association has said: Abortion and Contraception causes breast cancer.
If Planned Parenthood were giving out pills with anthrax, this is a bit like quietly giving them the money to test blood for lethal levels.
Their cowardice in the face of political pressure is what it is. Let us not lower the bar to claim this as a victory.
When one doesn’t stand upon the Gospel, one will cave to ungodly pressure. Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure succumbed to the bullying of Planned Parenthood because the breast cancer organization is not Christ-Centered or Gospel-Driven. This should not be surprising.
Pretty nice little fundraiser for Komen, at the expense of prolifers. Looks to me like Komen folding was the plan all along-PP came out the winner with not only all the donations from proaborts to PP to make up for the supposed loss from Komen, and all the funds prolifers donated in order to reward Komen. Too bad there’s no chemo that will cure Komen’s cancer of the spine. The abortion thugs have shown their true colors-that is the real victory here. It was a genius plan, but not in the way being hinted at here, but more akin to the American Cancer Society funding big tobacco because cancer is their business. Cha-ching. Women’s health is the very least of their priorities. How many lives are saved by Komen’s so called research versus the number of lives taken by abortion daily? Komen will never get a dime out of me, no matter how many more times they flip flop or make phony concessions to appease their prochoice masters.
One more thing-after this fundraiaing coup, neither PP nor Komen has any right to cry poormouth or snivel for our tax dollars ever again-if PP can raise that much money in a day from their rich benefactors, then we can demand they stop robbing the poor and calling themselves advocates for the low income.
As someone just said on Twitter, maybe if cancer looked more like a tiny, defenseless human, Planned Parenthood would be able to cure it.
Yeah, MPQ. They’ve poisoned a pretty big well, here. I hope any one-time, ill-gotten funds they manage to keep without having to refund from this last week end up being worth it for them, because they lost their chance to tap in to the market of proven most generous individuals in the world.
Where is Karen Handel in all this? I’m trying to catch up on everything that happened today and haven’t seen anything about her. . .
In the near future pro-lifers shouldn’t get so excited with a group like Susan G Koman. They CAVED like I figured. It’ll be 4 years of boycotting SGK when the race begins. If their partners have a change of heart about them maybe they’ll do the right thing and defund Planned Parenthood!
Jill,
Nice analysis, but I think Komen may have misstepped. They wander into the fray with a removal of funding (garnering pro-life support and angering pro-choicers). They then back-off to alleviate the pro-choice anger but rile the pro-lifers (who will now seriously consider withdrawing financial support). If the criminal cases do result in Komen removing funding they will likely not recoup full support from pro-lifers, and be pressed by the pro-choicers to change policy to allow continued funding. Either way, they appear to be less well off than they were before, and could possibly anger both camps (and their wallets) before it is over.
I agree with Teresa Tomeo, she was right all week http://teresatomeo.com/take-it-from-teresa/komen-flip-flop-a-messy-reminder.html Komen is not on the pro-life side and they refuse to acknowledge the links between the pill and abortion to breast cancer. We should not be jumping to support them. I would rather give to a pro-life breast cancer charity like the Breast Cancer Prevention Institute: http://www.bcpinstitute.org/home.htm
Komen intended to drop planned parenthood quietly, not because they’ve had an epiphany about the value of human life, but because it was a drag on their rep and their fund raising.
I think that Komen got a call from the IRS, and it put the fear of Obama into them. Nothing scares a non-profit like attention from the IRS, unless it’s ‘love’ from that agency for individual executives of the organization.
This serves notice to all other groups about the perils of association with planned unparenthood.
Also……. now EVERYONE knows that Komen gives to planned unparenthood.
Glad to read your analysis…I was thinking the same thing!
Have any of you posters ever actually met someone who supports PP? I support PP and can say with certainty that nobody I know thinks abortion is a GOOD thing! That would, truly, be an insane view, and if that’s what you think “pro-choice” people believe, it’s no wonder you hate them so much. NOBODY wants abortion, and until you meet real people who need the other health services provided by PP (99% of which have nothing to do with abortion), you will just continue to tell each other that all PP supporters are murderers who love abortion; however, this is just not true. Sorry to rain on your parade.
Have any of you posters ever actually met someone who supports PP?
Sure have. I know an older teacher who is also designated to deal with some discipline issues. She makes terrible statements to other adults about students like “they’re so damn stupid” and “now I know why I never had kids” so it makes me wonder what she says to the students when she has them alone. She makes covert sexual comments that she seems to think goes over everyone’s heads.
She put up a drawing in the copy room mocking a prolife politician saying he opposes women’s rights. She is the angriest, most-sarcastic teacher in the building and has a click of like-minded controlling adults followers.
This women has taught her whole life. Why spend your life working with children when it is apparent that you don’t really even like them?
I try my very best to be compassionate with her because my gut tells me she is post-abortive and because I realize she is a dying breed.
I support PP and can say with certainty that nobody I know thinks abortion is a GOOD thing!
LOL. Why would you support BAD things?
Because support of PP is not a wholehearted support of abortions! The teacher you refer to seems like a miserable, horrible woman who has certainly selected the wrong profession, but judging all teachers, all women, or all pro-choice people by that single examples would be as wrongheaded as if I were to judge all self-described pro-life people by the extremists who resort to violence and murder for the sake of shutting down abortion clinics. To say a person must be pro-abortion in order to support the overall mission of PP (which is not “to increase abortions”) is, as I said before, inaccurate and hyperbolic.
I respect the pro-life view and I understand it; I am a mother of three and would never wish to have an abortion myself. However, it is just so over the top and false to consider anyone who doesn’t want to shut down PP altogether to be pro-death. It is a mystery to me how people can exaggerate to this extent and not admit there can be a somewhat nuanced view. I am not saying anyone needs to have a nuanced view of abortion itself, just that Planned Parenthood DOES do other worthwhile things and the absolute failure to recognize that, to the point of calling it a killing factory, etc. is just mind-blowing.
The total absence of voices on this site who share my view even a little is worrisome, because, just as can happen on the left, when everyone only hears from people who already agree, nothing can happen except an increase in paranoia and hysteria. (Yes, I take the point– when one views abortion as murder in every case, an extreme approach seems justified, but surely there can be SOME room for conversation about keeping the services that are NOT related to abortion without deteriorating into gross distortions and downright falsehoods about the organization PP.)
just that Planned Parenthood DOES do other worthwhile things and the absolute failure to recognize that, to the point of calling it a killing factory, etc. is just mind-blowing.
just that the plantation owners DID do other worthwhile things (raised crops) and the absolute failure to recognize that, to the point of calling it a slave owning institution, etc. is just mind-blowing.
just that the nazis DID do other worthwhile things (put people to work) and the absolute failure to recognize that, to the point of calling it a jewish killing movement, etc. is just mind-blowing
Oh, regarding the teacher, you’d probably like her. She’s great at the games she plays. She has children who just loooooooove her because she allows them to do whatever they want in her class, gives them the attention they crave and knows how to play mind-games with them. She preys on the naive and gullible just like PP does with so many. You, for example.
It’s mind boggling to me that the Komen foundation ever supported Planned Parenthood (the biggest abortion clinic in America) in the first place since it has been proven that women who have had an abortion are 30% more likely to develop BREAST CANCER!!!
Interesting comparisons– I had not thought of the PP/nazi, slave owner comparisons before, and I do take your point, but it only works to a limited extent. Would you then say, for example that people should not only stop owning slaves, but should also STOP growing crops altogether? Because that is really the end point of that line of argument, isn’t it?
What I don’t understand, though, is what, specifically, I have said in any of my posts that would warrant the statement that I would probably like that teacher. How does what I’ve said seem to indicate that I think children should be spoiled, left to run wild, manipulated, etc.? Or that I have no morals or sense of decency? That kind of illogical leap, from my attempt to have a reasonable discussion about this topic, straight to being personally insulted in that way, just doesn’t make sense.
Perhaps I have also used some phrases (i.e. “mind-blowing”) that were too strident, but I did not and would not have accused you of something that is clearly ridiculous (i.e. that I would “probably like” the terrible teacher).
My support of PP doesn’t necessarily mean I am naive and gullible; it only means that I have a different view than you do. It’s a shame that you have had to resort to name calling.
Would you then say, for example that people should not only stop owning slaves, but should also STOP growing crops altogether?
People who owned slaves should not have been allowed to do anything until they either paid those who were making them rich or SET THEM FREE! Would you have told the slaves, “sorry guys, but the plantation owner needs to grow the crops!” Who the heck do you think was growing the crops in the first place?
Who do you think has made PP rich? PP has become rich on the backs of scared women and on the broken bodies of our unborn. The unborn have sacrificed their lives and you still support PP.
What about the nazis? When should they have been stopped? After all, they provided jobs. Maybe they should have stopped when everyone but themselves were dead?
Naive is one of the nicer words to describe your thinking.
The end never justifies the means. Freeing the slaves, saving the Jews and preventing the killing of unborn children is the Greater Good.
>>Yesterday, the Komen Foundation said the investigation was not the cause of their reduced support for Planned Parenthood, and that the real issue was that Planned Parenthood did not directly provide mammograms.
Good idea – only fund the progarams which directly provide support for women
That leaves Komen totally out in the cold, of course.
The debate used to be “when is the human soul formed?”
That was a loser for anti-choice people, so they had to change accepted language renaming fetuses “unborn children.
Scripture tells us when human life begins – when the first breath is taken: Genesis 2:7 “Then the LORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.”
Don’t buy it? How about God prescribing abortion as a test for a wife’s infidelity?
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=numbers%205:11-31&version=NIV
Why do you proaborts always have to bring religion into the debate? The prolife movement is a human rights movement. Based on science.
leah, i am sorry that another individual has made you feel uncomfortable. i can see that you have an opinion. i will say this and i will repeat it over and over, an opinion is just that. it does not carry much weight unless it is based on laws and rules which directly come with consequences. the sad thing is some laws ans rules should not be in existence. Roe vs Wade is one of these.
Also, i want to say the same thoughts came to me that came to the other person responding to your comment that you support PP because they do other valuable things. Can’t you find other organizations to donate to that don’t take the lives of innocents? i think you missed the point of what was being saying about the slave owners, the nazi killers, and the school teacher. the point, i think was to drive home the fact that the good they all were doing, as a side product in 2 of these cases in particular, is greatly outweighed by the harm. Therefore, it is not in the best interest of anyone to sensibly support any of these ventures. In conclusion, maybe you may think you are doing good for society by donating to PP, but in the long run and directly, you are doing more harm than you are doing good. All that I have said is just my opinion. None of what I have said carries any penalty, punishment or consequence from me to you. I just ask that you reconsider donating to an organization that does great harm while doing ‘some’ good.
If only pro-lifers could respect choices and stop calling women murderers. Adopt a few kids or help a poor pregnant woman pay her bills and maybe we women who don’t agree with your black and white views would actually think you support life, not just until the kid is born!
Nicole, if pro-lifers adopted all the children who needed help and helped every pregnant woman who needed help, would your views suddenly change to “black and white?” Or would you still find a reason to say that women should be able to kill their children before birth?
By the way – adoption, yep. Many of us are foster parents, and many of us want to adopt, and the only thing holding us back is the expense of adoption. Helping poor pregnant women? That would be something we do via crisis pregnancy centers, maternity homes, referrals for financial assistance, etc. Those are, unfortunately, things the pro-“choicers” don’t believe women should have a choice in. Many of us volunteer at, operate, or donate to these pregnancy centers, and to our benevolence funds at church which are also available to help people in need. Many of us sponsor children all over the world. Many of us work at food pantries to give poor families food on their tables all year long. My church has a food pantry, clothing room, and a backpack program for needy public school kids who may not be able to find food on the weekends.
Maybe, just maybe, you can see that treasuring life when it first begins leads to an appreciation for life at all ages and stages. I’m sorry, but I can never “respect” the “choice” to end an innocent child’s life, born or unborn. So much for changing your thinking, I guess. But we all know you don’t really mean what you said, Nicole. Have a nice day.