Though the Komen debacle is still rearing its head in the media, by now the shouting matches have died down enough to actually hear what people are saying. Frankly, it’s disturbing that some people on both sides of the abortion aisle believe that earmarked grants to Planned Parenthood – those intended only for mammograms and other cancer-related activities – are acceptable.

Regarding this nonsense, I’d like to provide a little flashback to whichever standardized tests you were forced to undergo in school and present an analogy.

Let’s say I’m rolling in it and have some money in my pocket to spend today. We go out to lunch together, and you chip in $10 to help pay for it. It sounds simple: You gave me money for the specific purpose of buying your lunch. No big deal, right?

But it also means that I can now afford to spend $10 more on dinner than I would have otherwise.

Lunch : mammograms :: dinner : abortion.

This is why my money does not go to Komen for the Cure, Livestrong, and other entities that contribute to Planned Parenthood. I will not help save lives by indirectly giving to an organization that ends them.

If you’d like to put your money to good use ending the injustice of abortion instead, try any of these worthy organizations:

It looks like we have to keep turning down those little pink ribbons after all. Why am I not surprised?

Breaking News: Susan G. Komen for the Cure is backing down from its decision to cut off grants to Planned Parenthood.

— POLITICO (@politico) February 3, 2012

Komen’s funding of Planned Parenthood subsidizes abortion, not breast cancer research, and is completely hypocritical and contrary to the organization’s purpose. Planned Parenthood doesn’t provide mammograms. Some studies have even shown a link between abortion and risk for breast cancer. Regardless of its good intentions, no pro-life person should feel comfortable giving Komen his or her money.

What I don’t understand is why Komen would let something like a supposed decision to stop funding Planned Parenthood get leaked to the media. This is going to make the pro-life community even more angry, especially after the initial outpouring of praise.

Talk about a PR disaster.

NPR reports:

Komen spokeswoman Leslie Aun said the cutoff results from the charity’s newly adopted criteria barring grants to organizations that are under investigation by local, state or federal authorities. According to Komen, this applies to Planned Parenthood because it’s the focus of an inquiry launched by Rep. Cliff Stearns, R-Fla., seeking to determine whether public money was improperly spent on abortions.

This is a big deal, y’all. It’s been hard for pro-life individuals who care about breast cancer and women’s health issues (yes, Democrats, we actually do care) to donate. But no longer do we have to turn down those little pink ribbons; to awkwardly avoid endcaps filled with gratuitously pink balloons, t-shirts, boxes of breakfast cereal, etc.; to avoid signing up for Komen-sponsored events.

Joining me in sending @komenforthecure a tweet or writing on their Facebook wall to thank them for helping you contribute to the cause – without indirectly funding abortions.