Doing what you say

I know everyone is jumping up and down to rant, rage, and rave about Komen these days. I am pretty neutral, leaning to reluctant acceptance, on them. My breast cancer diagnosis had nothing to do with these feelings. Before it I was probably less informed about what they do but still not overwhelmingly impressed. I think they deserve credit for lots of things they have done:

- Breast cancer is no longer a dreaded, whispered about disease, largely through their efforts.
- They have raised awareness of breast cancer to previously unheard of levels
- They fund a lot of programs on breast cancer education, screening, and awareness
- They provide a lot of information on coping with a breast cancer diagnosis, treatment, and life after it

On the other hand, they have not:
- They have not discovered a cure for breast cancer through their efforts (not that anyone else has either) - actually currently only 15% of their funding goes to breast cancer research anyway
- Their name is now misleading as only 15% of their funding goes to breast cancer research - see above
- They do not 'play well with others' based on their history of lawsuits and partnerships.
- They have pinkified everything under the sun.

I will give credit where credit is due. They have done a lot. But with this most recent explosion of bad press and scrutiny on the organization, employees, and their financial books, they seem to be crumpling and their support seems to be fading.

My biggest problem with them is that they do not do what they say. While I think its wonderful that they support all this awareness and education but in their name they say they are for the cure for breast cancer but that's not where their money goes. If they continue to do what they are doing they should be called the 'Foundation For Awareness of, Lawsuits About Our Name, and a Little Bit of Research for the Cure for Breast Cancer'. Then they would be doing what they say.