Morning Roundup - February 6, 2012
Monday, 06 February 2012 04:30
Last week, Komen for the Cure decided to no longer fund Planned Parenthood. The uproar was immediate and overwhelming from Planned Parenthood and the media.
Here is a recap:
Komen Says Planned Parenthood Plans Are Mischaracterized -- USA Today
The founder of Susan G. Komen for the Cure said Thursday that there had been a "gross mischaracterization" about the group's controversial decision to stop funding breast exams at Planned Parenthood.
Komen, the country's largest breast cancer charity, gave $680,000 to Planned Parenthood last year to provide health education and breast exams to poor and uninsured women. Komen, which helped popularize pink ribbons as a symbol of breast cancer awareness, will not renew most of those grants because of a new policy denying money to groups under investigation. Planned Parenthood is being investigated by Rep. Cliff Stearns, R-Fla., for possibly using taxpayer money for abortions.
The controversy hasn't hurt Komen financi... ally, Brinker said: Contributions "are up 100% in the past two days." Planned Parenthood also got a boost from the controversy, raising $650,000 in the 24 hours after the news broke, with an additional $250,000 pledge from New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
Then, Komen changed its mind, to the disappointment of many:
UPDATE from The Christian Post:
[Friday's] surprise announcement by the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation to reverse its decision to fund Planned Parenthood has pro-life groups and advocates shaking their heads. The reversal will mostly likely alienate supporters on both sides, causing even more trouble for the breast cancer group.
The nation's leading advocate for breast cancer awareness previously gave abortion provider Planned Parenthood millions of dollars in grants, including at least $700,000 in 2011 alone.
"Well, I think one of the benefits that has come from this saga is now the broad majority of Americans realize the Komen connection to the world's foremost abortion provider," Brian Harris, the director of Tennessee Right to Life, told The Christian Post. "Millions of pro-life Americans - who have momentum now - will know to avoid any involvement with Komen until they become consistently committed to protecting all human life."
The group's announcement on Tuesday that they would no longer continue funding Planned Parenthood brought abortion supporters - most notably a group of Democrat U.S. Senators, out of the woodwork - thus creating some intense political drama that most likely contributed to the reversal.
What is creating even more drama is Friday's reversal of their previous decision.
Thom Rainer put out this statement:
Statement on the Komen Decision from Dr. Thom Rainer, LifeWay president and CEO:
I am deeply disappointed with Friday's announcement from Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation if it means a reversal of Komen's decision to stop funding Planned Parenthood. I renew my strong encouragement of Komen's leadership to end that relationship permanently, and restate LifeWay's commitment to not be involved, even indirectly, with Planned Parenthood.
Eight GetReligion Comments After Eight Years -- GetReligion.org
Eight years ago, the Rt. Rev. Douglas LeBlanc clicked a button with his mouse and GetReligion went live. I wrote the first post on Feb. 1, 2004, but the site actually kicked into gear the next day.
So, this is GetReligion's eighth birthday. What should we do in order to celebrate, in the midst of another crazy working week? Here are eight observations about what I have learned in eight years of work here.
1. GetReligion is not a blog about religion news.
2. Lots of people hate religion and lots of religious people hate journalism.
3. What we are dealing with is a Blind Spot with two sides. In other words, the two halves of the First Amendment do not get along very well.
4. The bottom line: The state of American journalism will be improved by people who love journalism, not by those who hate it.
5. No one knows what the word "evangelical" means, including evangelical leaders.
6. When in doubt, reporters should accurately quote people -- rather than continuing to slap vague and often inaccurate labels on their foreheads.
7. When specific flocks of religious believers keep saying, year after year, that journalists are printing inaccurate information about what they believe, journalists should (a) take that seriously and then (b) tell these believers to come down to the local newsroom with stacks of on-the-record reference materials that explain the basics.
8. At some point in the future, there's going to be a story that involves Episcopalians, same-sex marriage, Mormons, post-Vatican II liturgical rites and vampires and the server that hosts this blog is going to blow up.
Write it Down -- Brad Lomenick
Young leaders consistently ask me: "what's one practical piece of advice for becoming/being a leader who gets things done?" A leader that is trustworthy and reliable. The kind of leader when you ask them to get something done, you have complete confidence that it will happen.
My answer is always the same: Write It Down. Always. What do I mean?
1. Never show up to a meeting without a pen and a notebook.
2. Carry a pen and notebook with you wherever you go.
3. Create a system for organizing your ideas and thoughts.
4. One of the most important, if not THE most important person in the room during a brainstorming or creative session is the notetaker.
By doing these things, it frees you up to have energy to be creative, think outside the box, dream, and ultimately have a list that works and a way to keep a running account of what items are on your list to get done.
The Skechers ad below ran last night during the Super Bowl. It's reported that "Mr. Quiggly" was a late replacement for another Skechers ad that was to feature Kim Kardashian. I think they made a good choice.
What was your favorite commercial from the big game?
