Pro-Life Advocate Says Little Rock Diocese Wrong to Withdraw Komen Concerns 
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by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
March 11, 2008
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) — The director of a pro-life group that sponsors boycotts against companies that fund Planned Parenthood said the Diocese of Little Rock was wrong to withdraw its objections to Komen for a Cure’s ties with Planned Parenthood.
Last week the diocese said the local Komen group doesn’t back the abortion business and withdrew its call for Catholics not to participate in its events.
As LifeNews.com first reported in February, the Diocese of Little Rock asked parishes and schools within its jurisdiction to break their ties with Komen because of its involvement with the nation’s leading abortion business.
Following that initial statement, Msgr. J. Gaston Hebert met with Komen officials and said in a new statement he’s satisfied the local events will not fund the abortion business.
But Doug Scott, the head of Life Decisions International, told LifeNews.com "the facts are clear" about how Komen has a long history of backing Planned Parenthood.
"The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation allows its chapters to fund Planned Parenthood and several of them do so," he said.
"The Diocese of Little Rock has essentially said it is acceptable to be associated with a group that funds an abortion-committing goliath so long as local dollars are not going to the group," Scott added. "This kind of disconnect is exactly what Komen officials were hoping to achieve and they clearly succeeded."
Scott said pro-life advocates should not be involved with Komen events in any state because some Komen affiliates back Planned Parenthood.
According to an AP report last week on the Hebert’s meeting with Komen, Rebecca Gibson, a spokeswoman for the Komen foundation, admitted Komen affiliates gave grants to Planned Parenthood in 2007.
Some 19 of the 122 Komen affiliates made grants to Planned Parenthood last year, according to its own figures totaling about $374,253.
That’s enough for Scott to say that Komen should be boycotted nationwide and he said pro-life groups should contact the national Komen organization and urge it to prohibit its affiliates form donating to the abortion business.
"The parent could prohibit funding of Planned Parenthood by its chapters but Komen has steadfastly refused to do," Scott said.
Scott also said pro-life advocates should refuse to accept Komen’s explanation that it is not directly funding abortions because its Planned Parenthood grants are for breast screenings or anti-cancer education.
"Corporations that donate to Planned Parenthood usually claim the support is ‘restricted’ for a specific, seemingly altruistic program run by Planned Parenthood," Scott explained.
"Not only does the donation give the corporate ‘stamp of approval’ to Planned Parenthood, unrestricted funds that had been supporting the program are now released to pay for much more controversial projects," he added.
Ultimately, Scott worries the decision will divide and confuse pro-life advocates, especially since other Catholic diocesan groups and pro-life organizations have worked so hard to educate people about the Komen-Planned Parenthood connection.
Related web sites:
Life Decisions International – https://www.fightpp.org
