Susan G. Komen Wrong to Sever Ties with Planned Parenthood

COMMENTARY | According to Time Magazine, the nation's leading breast cancer support group, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, is controversially cutting ties with Planned Parenthood. The split comes from Susan G. Komen's new policy that prevents it from associating with organizations under government investigation, and Planned Parenthood came under such investigation last September due to allegations that it was using federal money to support abortions.

Hundreds of thousands of dollars have been given to Planned Parenthood by Susan G. Komen in recent years, and Planned Parenthood has provided millions of breast exams and up to 70,000 mammograms over the last five years. The split between the two large organizations is unfortunate and will likely hurt many women who depend on such organizations for resources and support.

Aside from the harm to individual women by the dissolution of the relationship between Susan G. Komen and Planned Parenthood is the fact that the new policy instituted by Komen could be abused for political gain. Organizations that create rules barring them from associating with groups and organizations under investigation could trigger opportunities for partisan legislatures to muscle in on controversial nonprofits.

Basically, a partisan Congress could launch investigations of any number of organizations and nonprofits to deny them financial support from larger groups. The rule, by denying a group support upon which it has become reliant, could be considered unethical since it takes effect upon investigation, not conviction. Until Planned Parenthood has been found guilty of illegally supporting abortions it should not lose the Komen financial support it has grown accustomed to. If a firm line is not drawn insisting on convictions instead of mere investigations as the standard for removing support, countless groups could be harmed by an investigation-obsessed government or legislature.

In the public sector, due process means that employees are often guaranteed their salaries and benefits until they are found guilty of wrongdoing or incompetence. Shouldn't nonprofits like Susan G. Komen for the Cure try to maintain the same standards? Withdrawing support without following reasonable due process can lead to a slippery slope of arbitrary removal of aid for reasons, with reasons eventually become based on trivial political differences.

An organization that has reaped so much public support and goodwill should not be able to simply shut off financial support to another nonprofit without allowing reasonable due process to take its course. Susan G. Komen for the Cure has been successful because of American generosity and should therefore follow the American principle of due process.